Shatrughan Sinha, the only BJP leader followed by RG on Twitter

By: Sanjay Bhatnagar

Lucknow: It could not be a mere coincidence that Congress President Rahul Gandhi follow only one Bharatiya Janata Party leader on Twitter and that is disgruntled Shatrughan Sinha.

Surprisingly, there are many other BJP leaders like Yashwant Sinha, also from Bihar like Shatrughan, and Arun Shorey who are disillusioned with the saffron party specially after Narendra Modi assumed the pivotal role in the party but Rahul chose to follow only one.

The Congress leader and scion of Gandhi-Nehru family has more than 6.3 million followers on Twitter but he follows only 138 persons which includes Shatrughan Sinha, perhaps the lone BJP leader. Others followed by RG includes personalities from film industry, sports and Congress units and their leaders.

It will, though, not be a far-reaching conclusion that Shatrughan, bitter critic of the BJP, of late, has also developed a bonhomie with the Congress and followed many of the Congress leaders in a jiffy. Also, he was in open praise for Rahul Gandhi only recently.

Also Read: Shatrughan Sinha joins Yashwant Sinha’s MP protest

The latest indication given by Shatrughan also suggests he may contest 2019 Lok Sabha polls from some other party. This party may well be Lalu Prasad Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) but Shotgun's newly-found proximity with the Congress cannot be discounted so easily. Like Rahul Gandhi, Lalu's son Tejaswi Yadav has also come in for huge praise from 'Bihari Babu'.

Shatrughan Sinha is, presently, in quandary as to where to go because his open criticism of his party is going unheeded by the party leadership. He seems to be in a total isolated stage where his party leadership has virtually refused to recognise his identity.

• Film star-turned politician Shatrughan Sinha was twice elected to Lok sabha from Patna in 2009 and 2014 on BJP ticket
• He was twice sent to Upper House by the BJP
• He had been Union Health Minister in Atal Behari Vajpayee-led NDA government
• His disillusionment with BJP started when Modi became the Prime Minister
• Shatrughan has been very vocal against his own party but neither responded to by the party nor paid heed to his outrageous remarks on many occasions.

Incidentally, Shatrughan Sinha does not follow the Congress President.