'Those who made fun of him as Pappu...': TMC's Shatrughan Sinha praises Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: Praising Rahul Gandhi for his 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', TMC MP Shatrughan Sinha has said that the 3,570-km-long march will help the Congress double its tally in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Sinha, a former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP who briefly joined the Congress in 2019 after differences with his former party, also said that Rahul Gandhi has proved his leadership abilities through the Bharat Jodo Yatra. In an interview with the news agency PTI on Sunday (October 30, 2022), Sinha said that the 150-day-long Bharat Jodo Yatra, which commenced on September 7 from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, is getting a very good response and that Rahul Gandhi's "charisma" has started working.

"This is a 'yatra' in a true sense as (Rahul) Gandhi is walking unlike 'Rath yatras' by BJP leaders. Lakhs of people are coming out in his support. He has proved his leadership qualities," he said.

"People have accepted him as a leader. And, those who made fun of him as 'Pappu' and didn't take him seriously have been proved wrong," Shatrughan Sinha added.

"I feel that Gandhi's yatra will help double the tally of the Congress in Parliament in the next Lok Sabha polls," the Trinamool Congress leader said.

The Congress, notably, had won 52 seats in the 2019 general polls.

"BJP leaders are making fun of Gandhi, but let them also conduct a similar yatra on foot if they have the fire in their belly. The magic spell of Rahul Gandhi will work in the next elections, I feel and I want it to happen," Sinha said.

Arvind Kejriwal would either emerge as 'kingmaker' or 'king' himself in Gujarat Assembly elections

Speaking on the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections, Shatrughan Sinha said that Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal would either emerge as the "kingmaker" or the "king" himself.

"In Gujarat, Kejriwal will either emerge as the king or the kingmaker. There is a churning in the saffron camp in Gujarat. The BJP cannot milk Hindutva or the Ram Mandir issue every time. Kejriwal has played a masterstroke through his demand of photos of Goddess Laxmi and Lord Ganesh on currency notes," he said.

Last week, Kejriwal had appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to print images of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi on currency notes for the progress of the country.

"Kejriwal has paid the BJP back with the same coin. The BJP used to act as if they were the master of the 'Hindutva school of politics' but Kejriwal is now the headmaster of that school. The BJP can neither swallow it nor discard it," Sinha said.

Sinha, who was a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee's NDA government, asserted that the anti-BJP parties are gaining momentum in the states -- whether it is Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu or Karnataka.

Mamata Banerjee will be a 'game-changer' in 2024 Lok Sabha elections

Stating that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be a "game-changer" in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Shatrughan Sinha, who joined the TMC earlier this year and successfully fought the by-election from West Bengal's Asansol, hoped that the relation between his party and the Congress would improve.

"There is no last word in politics. Today, the relations are not good doesn't mean they won't improve tomorrow. I personally feel that if major opposition parties come together, the political situation of the country will be completely different," he said.

Speaking on the face of the opposition in the 2024 elections, the actor-turned-politician said that the people of the country will choose the right leader.

"This question that who will be next (prime minister) comes up in every election. Once you reach the top politically, it will be decided based on numbers and the mandate. The country never stops, governments keep changing, and new leadership comes up," he said.

(With PTI inputs)