Patna: Having remained conspicuous by his absence during poll campaigns, actor turned BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha today cast his vote for Bihar elections but again vented ire at state party leaders for “conspiring” against him.
“I have come to perform my national duty of casting vote for election in my native Bankipore seat,” Sinha told reporters after exercising franchise at St Severence school near his residence in the capital.
Sinha, who apparently had put BJP into tricky situation through his series of tweets, said he had come here merely to cast vote and would leave the place today itself. The second-term Lok Sabha member from Patna Sahib also vented ire at state BJP leaders for “conspiring to keep the ‘Bihari Babu' (Sinha) away from Bihar poll.”
Many candidates had requested my presence in their constituencies to campaign but “some self-styled big BJP leaders of state did not allow it to happen,” he alleged but refused to elaborate.
“Bollywood stars Hema Malini and Ajay Devgn campaigned for BJP candidates but their own ‘Bihari Babu' was kept away from poll due to conspiracy by a section of self-styled big leaders of the party in Bihar,” a peeved Sinha said.
He, however, expressed no remorse for series of tweets which left party leaders speechless and provided a handle to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad to attack BJP.
“I did not say anything wrong. My intent was to highlight shortcomings and repair it on time,” Sinha said adding, “I talked about checking soaring price of pulses as in the past rise in price of onion had left people crying.” He once again said the party should have chosen a CM candidate for the elections.
“I had said that if there is problem in choosing somebody from BJP we can select Ramvilas Paswan. Since this did not happen Prime Minister Narendra Modi was forced to go in small kasba and localities to seek support for NDA nominees,” the BJP leader said.
Asked if he feared party could initiate action against him, Sinha said though he has not crossed party's “Lakshaman rekha” but if even then “party acts against me I am prepared to pay price for speaking truth.”
“I have no demand, no command and no expectation from the party now,” a distraught Sinha, who has been the BJP star campaigner for long, said.
“Did they act against anybody for party's massive defeat in Delhi or losing power in Himachal Pradesh? ... so what is the rationale of acting against a ‘garib and sharif' (poor and well cultured) person like me?” he said.
