Rebel Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Shatrughan Sinha, who is likely to be dropped by his party, might contest from his parliamentary constituency on a Congress ticket.
Sinha, who is known for his acerbic comments against the top leadership of his own party, particularly Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is the sitting MP from Patna Sahib.
According to reports, the actor-turned-politician might be fielded by the grand old party against Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad from the same constituency.
Sinha has made it clear that he will contest the upcoming elections whether or not he is fielded by his party.
Though Prasad is a BJP heavyweight and a four-term Rajya Sabha MP, it will be the first time that he will contest the Lok Sabha elections.
Sinha has been a bitter critic of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has on many occasions posted tweets or issued comments critical of the party leadership.
As recently as on 15 March – a day before BJP’s central election committee meeting – Sinha posted a tweet where he hinted that he might no longer be part of the party.
“Sir, the Nation respects you, but the only thing the leadership lacks is credibility & trust factor. “Leadership jo kar rahi hai or jo kah rahi hai, kya log uspe vishwas kar rahein hain? Shayad nahin!” Any way it all seems to be too little and too late? Promises made in the past are still to be fulfilled,” he wrote apparently taking a swipe at the PM.
“Hope, wish & pray, though I may not be with you anymore – “Mohabbat karne vaale kam na honge, (shayad) teri mehfil mein lekin hum na honge”,” he added.
On 14 March he criticised the PM for his “your looking London and talking Tokyo attitude” and said that the series of projects launched by the Prime Minister just before the announcement of the election dates were “jumlas” that came “too little and too late”.
“In the last week/month of your term, you have announced 150 projects in UP, Benares & other parts of the country. Technically speaking it may not be against the code of conduct, but certainly it seems to be too little and too late ‘jumlas’,” he wrote.
“Still, wishing you all the best inspite of your looking London and talking Tokyo attitude and your shoot and scoot behavior. Jai Hind!” added Sinha in his jibe at PM Modi.
Read More: BJP might drop Shatrughan Sinha, field Ravi Shankar Prasad from Patna Sahib
He has also attended anti-BJP rallies called by various opposition parties including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
BJP had bagged 22 of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar in the 2014 elections.
Bihar will see polling in seven phases on all the dates between 11 April and 19 May. The counting will happen on 23 May and the results will be announced on the same day.