Lok Sabha election 2019: On BJP’s foundation day, rebel leader Shatrughan Sinha joins Congress

Shatrughan Sinha joins Congress: Sinha is a two-term BJP Lok Sabha member from Patna Sahib Singh but has been dropped by the saffron party which has chosen to field union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad from the seat.

On Twitter Sinha wrote "It's with a heavy heart and immense pain that I finally bid adieu to my old party, for reasons best known to all of us, on 6th April, which also happens to be the Sansthapna Diwas of BJP. I don't hold any ill will for our people as they were like my family and I was groomed in this party."

Sinha has been openly critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah. Speculation had been rife for some time that he would join the Congress.

Congress is an ally of the 'Mahagathbandhan' which also consists of the RJD and other local parties.

The candidature of actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha from Patna Sahib is almost certain with the seat falling into the Congress kitty, though it was not announced as the BJP leader is yet to formally join the party.

Patna: Bollywood actor-turned-politician and Rebel BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha on Saturday joined Congress in New Delhi. Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, AICC in-charge for party's Bihar unit Shaktisinh Gohil welcomed him into the party fold and termed him the "best politician who was earlier with the wrong party". After joining the party, Sinha said "we have witnessed how slowly the democracy in BJP has changed to dictatorship. For BJP, my only fault was that I stuck to the values of truth." Sinha was a two-term BJP Lok Sabha member from Patna Sahib Singh but has been dropped by the saffron party which has chosen to field union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad from the seat. The actor-turned-politician, who has been criticising the Modi government for long, said that with heavy heart and immense pain he is finally bid adieu to his 'old party' BJP. On Twitter Sinha wrote "It's with a heavy heart and immense pain that I finally bid adieu to my old party, for reasons best known to all of us, on 6th April, which also happens to be the Sansthapna Diwas of BJP. I don't hold any ill will for our people as they were like my family and I was groomed in this party."

It's with a heavy heart and immense pain that I finally bid adieu to my old party, for reasons best known to all of us, on 6th April, which also happens to be the Sansthapna Diwas of BJP. I don't hold any ill will for our people as they were like my family and I was groomed in

— Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) April 6, 2019

"The differences I have with some of the present people and policies of the party, leave me with no option but to part ways with it. I'm hopeful that the Grand Old National Party which I'm stepping into, will provide me with opportunities to serve our people, society and nation in terms of unity, prosperity, progress, development, and glory." Sinha further added. Speculation had been rife for some time that he would join the Congress, which is an ally of the 'Mahagathbandhan' which also consists of the RJD and other local parties. Earlier on 28th March,  Sinha met Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

BJP MP Shatrugna Sinha ji met our Congress President Shri @RahulGandhi today and in national interest has decided to join tur Congress. Hw wil formally join Congress on April 6. pic.twitter.com/qxJ3qELYUg

— Shaktisinh Gohil (@shaktisinhgohil) March 28, 2019

He had said that leaders such as Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal, among others, wanted him to join their respective parties, but he had made it clear that whatever be the situation, the constituency he would be contesting in the Lok Sabha polls would be Patna Sahib. Speculation had gained ground that Sinha, serving his second consecutive term, will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Patna Sahib on a Congress ticket. The BJP is contesting from 17 of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar as part of the NDA. In the opposition's 'Mahagathbandhan', the Congress is fighting on nine seats. Sinha had adopted a belligerent approach towards the BJP criticising it over a range of issues since the 2015 Bihar Assembly election. According to PTI sources, he also played a major role in bringing the parties of the 'Mahagathbandhan' together after there appeared a disagreement among them on the issue of seat-sharing. He has often taken a stance at variance with the official party line, including on demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax, and shared the stage with opposition leaders at an anti-BJP rally in Kolkata in January, where he was projected as the "star speaker". (agency inputs)

Published at : 06 Apr 2019 06:28 AM (IST)

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