Feeling angry and unhappy over being sidelined within his party, Bollywood actor-turned-politician and Lok Sabha MP from Patna Sahib, Shatrughan Sinha has decided to boycott Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah's rally on Tuesday.
"Neither party President Amit Shah nor the BJP state leadership invited me to the function," Sinha, BJP second term Lok Sabha member from Patna Saheb, told PTI.
"My name or photograph does not figure in any of the banners, hoardings and posters despite being a local MP," he said over phone from his Mumbai residence.
Sinha said since he had no invitation he chose to stay away from it and see a doctor instead. He was in Patna and returned on Sunday night.
Sinha said he has been a committed member of the party, which he joined at the height of his Bollywood career and would "never even dream of harming it."
He claimed many a leaders in the state "felt threatened" by his personality and that was why they were trying to keep him away from programme, "so that they do not look dwarfed due to my presence." He, however, did not identify any leader.
Asked whether the party felt it would win the Bihar assembly polls without him, Sinha, who has been star campaigner of the party for long, said "I wish them good luck."
“Shatrughan Sinha will not attend Amit Shah’s much-publicised rally in Patna to express his displeasure for being repeatedly ignored in the party after he won from Patna Sahib seat last year,” a BJP leader considered close to Sinha said.
Shah's meet will be attended by six union ministers, the party's national spokesperson, the Bihar in-charge Bhupendra Yadav and former ministers and legislators.
“Shatrughan Sinha was here on Monday during his two-day visit to his constituency after a gap of a few months. But he left for Delhi and he will be in Delhi on Tuesday,” said another BJP leader close to him.
However, BJP state president Mangal Pandey said that he was not aware that Sinha was unhappy and angry.
“There may be some personal engagement because of which he will be missing the rally,” Pandey said.
Another senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister of Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi downplayed the issue by saying that all MPs were invited for the rally. “Shatrughan Sinha was also invited for the rally. We have no information that he will not be attending it,” he said.
According to party leaders who were in regular touch with Sinha, the Bollywood star was not comfortable with the present leadership of the party that has continued to ignore him.
Amit Shah is set to launch the party's poll campaign at the rally for the Bihar assembly polls later this year.
Sinha was one of the notable absentees, along with LK Advani, at the Goa conclave of the BJP in June 2013, where Narendra Modi was chosen to head BJP's national campaign.
