Shatrughan Sinha meets Rahul Gandhi, may join Congress on April 6
Piyush Tripathi | TNN | Updated: Mar 29, 2019, 09:12 IST
Shatrughan SinhaPATNA: Cine star-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha, who met Congress president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Thursday, is now likely to join the Grand Old Party on April 6. Chairman of state Congress election campaign committee Akhilesh Prasad Singh had on Wednesday claimed that Shatrughan, the BJP’s Patna Sahib MP, would join the Congress on Thursday.
“BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha ji met our Congress President Shri @RahulGandhi today (Thursday) and in national interest has decided to join Congress. He will formally join Congress on April 6 (sic),” Congress’s Bihar incharge Shaktisinh Gohil tweeted on Thursday.
After his meeting with Rahul in New Delhi, Shatrughan reiterated that his “location” will be the same, meaning he is keen to contest Lok Sabha elections from Patna Sahib constituency.
“I will soon join Congress. I have been a staunch supporter of not only Rahulji but his entire family, right from Nehruji, Indiraji, Rajivji and Soniaji and others. I have been speaking in support of Nehru-Gandhi family despite being criticised as I know that they are the real nation builders of India,” Shatrughan said.
Shatrughan, who joined BJP in the 90s and also served as minister in the government of late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, said “dictatorship” was prevalent in the saffron party. “I am leaving BJP which is no longer a democratic party. It is in the grips of dictatorship,” he said.
Shatrughan was accompanied by Gohil, Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee president Madan Mohan Jha, Congress legislator Sadanand Singh and Akhilesh Prasad Singh.
“Shatrughanji had a long meeting with Rahulji. It was decided that Shatrughanji will join our party and work with us. He will be one of our star campaigners. We are hopeful that people of Bihar will extend the required support to him,” Gohil told reporters in New Delhi.
Asked about postponement of his induction into Congress, Shatrughan said, “Since I am going to commence a new innings for development of the country, we decided to start it on an auspicious day. Hence, I will join the party during Navaratri.”
The BJP has fielded Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad from Patna Sahib constituency replacing Shatrughan. Both Ravi Shankar and Shatrughan are from forward Kayastha caste. The Patna Sahib constituency is dominated by forward castes.
“BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha ji met our Congress President Shri @RahulGandhi today (Thursday) and in national interest has decided to join Congress. He will formally join Congress on April 6 (sic),” Congress’s Bihar incharge Shaktisinh Gohil tweeted on Thursday.
After his meeting with Rahul in New Delhi, Shatrughan reiterated that his “location” will be the same, meaning he is keen to contest Lok Sabha elections from Patna Sahib constituency.
“I will soon join Congress. I have been a staunch supporter of not only Rahulji but his entire family, right from Nehruji, Indiraji, Rajivji and Soniaji and others. I have been speaking in support of Nehru-Gandhi family despite being criticised as I know that they are the real nation builders of India,” Shatrughan said.
Shatrughan, who joined BJP in the 90s and also served as minister in the government of late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, said “dictatorship” was prevalent in the saffron party. “I am leaving BJP which is no longer a democratic party. It is in the grips of dictatorship,” he said.
Shatrughan was accompanied by Gohil, Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee president Madan Mohan Jha, Congress legislator Sadanand Singh and Akhilesh Prasad Singh.
“Shatrughanji had a long meeting with Rahulji. It was decided that Shatrughanji will join our party and work with us. He will be one of our star campaigners. We are hopeful that people of Bihar will extend the required support to him,” Gohil told reporters in New Delhi.
Asked about postponement of his induction into Congress, Shatrughan said, “Since I am going to commence a new innings for development of the country, we decided to start it on an auspicious day. Hence, I will join the party during Navaratri.”
The BJP has fielded Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad from Patna Sahib constituency replacing Shatrughan. Both Ravi Shankar and Shatrughan are from forward Kayastha caste. The Patna Sahib constituency is dominated by forward castes.
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