Bihar polls: Lalu, JD(U) sympathise with Shatrughan Sinha

Patna: RJD and JD(U) on Thursday sympathised with rival BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha, who has kept himself off from Bihar elections and vented his ire at state party leaders for "conspiring" against him.

RJD president Lalu Prasad shared the discomfort of Sinha, popularly known as "Bihari Babu", and alleged that BJP was humiliating the actor-turned politician.

"BJP is humiliating Shatrughan Sinha who has done a lot to bring the party at this position," Prasad told reporters when asked to react on ire of Sinha against his own party.

JD(U) General Secretary K C Tyagi said many important BJP leaders like L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Shatrughan Sinha and R K Singh have been sidelined by the current party leadership for questioning the style of functioning of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.

"There might be a big explosion within BJP after Bihar elections which the NDA is sure to lose," he told reporters.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has on several occasions spoke high about Sinha and targeted BJP for "humiliating" the actor- turned MP who used to be a star campaigner of the party and had pulled crowd when there were not many takers of the saffron party.

While, rivals shared agony of Sinha, who is BJP Lok Sabha member from Patna Sahib, his own party leader Uma Bharti had a different take.

In reply to a question on Sinha, Union minister Uma Bharti told reporters "Voices made in anger does not bear any meaning."

When asked to comment on issues raised by Sinha, she described Sinha as her "elder brother".

Sinha, who has remained conspicuous by his absence during poll campaigns, had come here yesterday to cast vote. He left Patna hours after exercising franchise without visiting party office or meeting any leader.

To questions by reporters, he alleged that state BJP leaders were "conspiring to keep the 'Bihari Babu' (Sinha) away from Bihar poll."