Shatrughan Sinha

Shatrughan Sinha began his political journey in the 1980s by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the era led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani.

In 1992, he entered electoral politics by contesting a Lok Sabha by-election for the New Delhi constituency but lost to Rajesh Khanna, a fellow actor who was representing the Congress. Sinha later revealed his regret over contesting against Khanna, which strained their friendship.

Subsequently, Sinha was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1996 and again in 2002. During his tenure, he served as the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare (2002-2003) and later as Minister for Shipping (2003-2004) in the NDA government under Atal Bihari Vajpayee, becoming the first Bollywood actor to hold a cabinet minister position. He was appointed as the head of the BJP Culture and Arts Department in 2006.

In 2009, Sinha won the Lok Sabha polls from the Patna Sahib constituency, defeating actor Shekhar Suman, who was contesting on a Congress ticket. He retained his seat in the 2014 elections, defeating Congress candidate Kunal Singh.

However, Sinha became increasingly critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP. After not being given a ministerial berth in the Modi government, he voiced his dissatisfaction. Additionally, after the BJP lost to then RJD-JDU Mahagathbandhan in the 2015 Bihar polls, he called for the saffron party to take responsibility.

In 2019, Sinha left the BJP headed by Amit Shah and joined the Congress. Despite contesting from the Patna Sahib constituency, he suffered a significant defeat to BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad, then union minister.

Following this, Sinha was nominated by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to contest the bye-elections for the Asansol parliamentary constituency in West Bengal, which was vacated by Babul Supriyo, who had switched from BJP to TMC. Sinha won the bye-election in 2022, marking his return to the Lok Sabha with a substantial victory. He was re-elected from the Asansol seat on the TMC ticket in the 2024 general elections.

In addition to his political career, Sinha is a member of prestigious clubs and institutions such as the India International Centre, India Habitat Centre, Constitution Club, Delhi Flying Club, Delhi Golf Club, and Airport Authority Club.

He actively participates in philanthropic activities, he is associated with organisations like SAFA (Satrughan Sinha Fans' Association), PRAYAS, and KOSHISH, where he campaigns for various causes such as raising funds for 'Homes for Blind' and promoting eye donation. Through SAFA, he organised blood donation camps and campaigned against drug addiction among youth by arranging anti-drug and anti-tobacco programs in schools and colleges across the country and abroad.

Since 2001, Sinha has served as the Chairperson of PRAYAS, an organisation dedicated to rehabilitating orphans, disadvantaged children, youth, and women in Delhi, Bihar, Gujarat, Assam, and the Tsunami-devastated areas of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He also serves as a Member of the Board of Directors for KOSHISH, an organisation committed to serving the deaf and dumb in Delhi. Additionally, he is associated with the Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow.

Apart from his social work, Sinha has also produced socially relevant films such as 'Bihari Babu' and 'Kalka,' which tackle issues like anti-dowry and labour exploitation. His interests include yoga, music, and outdoor games.

His special interests lie in the upliftment of the poor and downtrodden people, and he actively engages in social service through various NGOs and agencies like Lions Club and Rotary Club.