BJP snubs Shatrughan Sinha, Sushil Modi to contest from Patna Sahib seat: Sources

PATNA: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi will be the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for the next Lok Sabha election from Patna Sahib. Shatrughan Sinha, the current Lok Sabha MP from Patna Sahib, will not get the ticket to contest the election following his anti-party stand over a host of issues, sources in the BJP have told Zeenews.com.

Shatrughan Sinha has been targeting the BJP leadership including Prime Minister Narendra Modi ever since he was sidelined and overlooked for a ministerial berth after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The disgruntled BJP MP had earlier in May this year hinted that he would contest from the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from the same seat even if the situation is otherwise. "The location (of the constituency) will be the same, even if the situation is otherwise," he had said.

Sinha, who served as a Union minister in the NDA government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is a Lok Sabha member from his native Patna Sahib seat for the second consecutive term.

Amid a spate of attacks from him on the current BJP leadership and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there has been a debate over whether Sinha will be fielded by the BJP in the 2019 general election.

Sinha had recently echoed the allegations by opposition parties against the Centre over the Rafale deal. He had said: "Honesty & transparency seldom go together. The self described & self mooted - most honest & transparent Govt getting commendations on great Rafale deal, the extraordinary management of Dollar–INR ratio, the effective control of petrol & diesel prices etc etc --the day dreaming continues. Sir, when will we come out of our shell & explain to public the realities of life? Instead, is remaining in AC offices guarded by Ministers/Spokespersons the latest dharma of Ram Rajya?? Matchless efficiency or highest arrogance?? Sir, 'Ye public hai, sab janti hai'."

Sinha has been frequently seen in the company of former Union minister Yashwant Sinha who quit BJP after consistently attacking PM Modi and BJP president Amit Shah. Sinha has also been spotted on several occasions with jailed RJD chief Lalu Prasad and had also met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. In a recent event in Delhi, he had also praised Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi.