Shatrughan out, Prasad to contest from Patna Sahib

PATNA: After constantly facing swipes from Shatrughan Sinha, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Patna Sahib, the party finally dropped him from its list of 17 Lok Sabha candidates in Bihar on Saturday.

The actor-turned-politician has been critical of the BJP’S political line and decisions taken by the Narendra Modi government, including the November 2016 invalidation of high-value banknotes. Sinha is likely to join the Congress on Sunday for reclaiming the seat on its symbol.

BJP leaders had advised Sinha in January to leave the party “if he does not like it.” Sinha has been cosying up to opposition parties such as the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress in Bihar.

Union minister Ravishankar Prasad has replaced Sinha as the BJP’S Patna Sahib candidate and faces his first test in electoral politics. “Patna is my city. I was born and brought up there. I was a member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh there and I have emotional connections with Patna,” Prasad told a news agency.

Sinha, meanwhile, told a news agency: “The only reason why I stayed on at the BJP in spite of repeated snubs is because of my loyalty. I had vowed I’d not move until I was told to. The time to make the move is now.”

On Prasad, he said, “The BJP is fielding a dear friend of mine... But I will be contesting elections from my constituency.”