Shatrughan Sinha joins Congress, says BJP is a ‘one-man party’

Patna, Apr 06: After nearly three decades with the BJP, actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha, formally joined Congress in the presence of senior party leaders on Saturday. Sinha is a two-term BJP Lok Sabha member from Patna Sahib but was been dropped by the saffron party which has chosen to field union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad from the seat.

Welcoming Sinha, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said, "Sinha is a brilliant leader and unfortunately he was part of the wrong party."

Taking examples Sinha named LK Advani, Murali Manohar Joshi and Arun Shourie, "Everyone is scared of Modiji in the BJP Party. Even the MPs are scared of the prime minister. There was no development in secularism or in the actions of the saffron party," Sinha added saying that he is happy to join Congress.

"They did the same to Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha. I was even told that since I have been a critic, I was not given a cabinet post. In the one-man show, two-men army, everything happens from PMO. Ministers can't work freely in the government," the actor-polician said.

Sinha said he was hopeful of getting 'opportunities' in the Congress to serve people. "This is a party of great nation builders and luminaries like Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru, Patel and many others," he wrote on twitter.

He also praised Congress chief Rahul gandhi for his 'dynamic' leadership. "Under the present President of Congress the very dynamic, able, tried, tested and successful face of today and tomorrow's India, @RahulGandhi, I hope, wish and pray that I'm heading into a better direction," he said.

Earlier in the day Sinha bid adieu to BJP, In a tweet, Sinha said, "It's with a heavy heart and immense pain that I finally bid adieu to my old party, for reasons best known to all of us, on 6th April, which also happens to be the Sansthapna Diwas of BJP."

"I don't hold any ill will for our people as they were like my family and I was groomed in this party with the guidance and blessings of the stalwarts like Bharat Ratna Nanaji Deshmukh, late and former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and of course, our friend philosopher, ultimate leader, guru & guide, L K Advani," he added.

The Patna Sahib seat is currently held by Shatrughan Sinha, who has often openly criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah.