Veteran snubs Shotgun

NALIN VERMA

Patna, Jan. 30: The controversy within the BJP over newly created Patna Saheb Lok Sabha took a new turn today with veteran party leader R.K. Sinha questioning Shatrughan Sinha's credibility. "Shatrughan Sinha has been claiming that he has the assurance from Rajnath Singh and L.K. Advani to contest the Patna Saheb seat. I also claim that I have the assurance from at least six top leaders in the party's decision-taking body to contest the seat," said founder-chairman of the largest private security agency of India, R.K. Sinha, adding: "As a disciplined party worker, I do not find it right to expose the leaders' names now." In his first ever statement in course of the tussle for the Patna Saheb seat, R.K. Sinha, who has been in the party for the past 40 years, said: "It is not proper for even a party worker to make himself the candidate ahead of the formal announcement. If am sitting quiet, I must be honoured for my discipline. My silence should not be interpreted as a licence to someone to announce his own candidature." R.K. Sinha's remark in the run-up to the formal announcement for tickets is being seen as the "belligerent move" to put pressure on the party high command not to yield to the actor-turned-politician's "pressure tactics". In fact, he made it obvious also by saying: "I am waiting for the party's formal announcement on this. My options are open. I will exercise them if I am denied my due. I have been working among Patna Saheb people for the past three years to contest the seat. I cannot ignore the wishes of my workers and the people." After the delimitation process, the existing Patna Lok Sabha seat has been divided into two constituencies — Patliputra and Patna Saheb. While Patna Saheb enjoys support from urban populace, the Patliputra seat consists of rural electorate. R.K. Sinha's utterances are virtually pregnant with the "threat" that he may cross over to other parties to contest the seat. In fact, Shatrughan too had held out a veiled threat of joining Lalu Prasad's RJD if the party denied him the ticket.