Congress workers protest seeking cancellation of Shatrughan Sinha's candidature from Patna Sahib

PATNA: A group of 15 to 20 people led by a Congress leader from Chhapra district, on Monday held a demonstration outside the state Congress headquarters Sadaqat Ashram here, demanding cancellation of candidature of actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha from Patna Sahib Lok Sabha constituency.

Sinha who won Patna Sahib seat twice in 2009 and 2014 as BJP candidate, joined the Congress a few weeks ago in the presence of the AICC president Rahul Gandhi and he has now been declared as Congress candidate from Patna Sahib where nomination began from Monday.

The demonstrators, who were holding anti-Sinha placards in their hand, also alleged that Shatru was “dropped through a parachute” at the ally RJD’s behest and has been made Congress candidate without consultation from the grass-root workers. They also alleged that Congress senior leaders “sold” the Patna Sahib seat to Shatru at the behest of RJD chief Lalu Prasad.

When contacted, Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Rajesh Rathore said except one of the demonstrators who is a Congress leader from Chhapra, all other demonstrators were unknown persons. “They were never seen at the Congress office. We believe they were sent by the rival BJP camp to create a sort of confusion among the electors of Patna Sahib seat,” Rathore told TOI.

He said the Sinha’s candidature from Patna Sahib has been decided by none other than the Congress high command. “Once the party’s high command takes a decision about anything, no devoted Congress worker goes against the high command’s decision,” he said.

Earlier on Sunday, Sinha, also known as Shotgun, was heckled at the Congress state headquarters while he was addressing a meeting of party workers.

The star-turned-politician annoyed a section of Congress workers across the country including Bihar, when he visited Lucknow a few days ago and campaigned for his wife Poonam who is contesting the Lucknow seat as the candidate of the BSP-Samajwadi Party-RLD combine.

A section of Congress workers became angry with Sinha after he stated in Lucknow that the BSP supremo Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav as prime ministerial candidates.