Just ‘dostana’ with Nitish, BJP is and will be my last party: Shatrughan

Patna: A day after BJP's big defeat in Bihar, disgruntled party MP Shatrughan Sinha on Monday said those responsible for the debacle should be taken to task and responsibility fixed for the loss.

The actor-turned-politician, who caused embarrassment to the party in the run-up to Bihar polls, met JD-U leader Nitish Kumar and congratulated him for the victory of the Grand Alliance.

Heaping praises on Kumar, he said he was a "tried, tested and successful" chief minister. He later also met RJD chief Lalu Prasad and congratulated him.

Sinha said he considers Kumar to be a "very good and respectable leader" after former West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu, and termed Monday's meeting as one that should be viewed in healthy sportsman spirit.

"There should be action against those responsible. They should be taken to task and they should get lessons. As former Home Secretary and party leader RK Singh has said, responsibility should be fixed and those responsible for this loss should draw lessons even if action is not taken," he told reporters after meeting Kumar.

Quizzed about his meeting Nitish being in defiance of the party line, he said it should not be viewed as such as he had met the Bihar chief minister in a spirit of healthy politics.

He also cited the example of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and other BJP leaders wishing Kumar on his victory.

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Asked whether the party was considering action against him, he said, "I have no such information or news. I have done nothing that I should feel or realise that there should be action against me. But, still, if someone wants to take action against me, I cannot stop it. Till I am in the party, the party's direction will be like an order for me."

Queried on talk about him being regarded as BJP's "shatru", Sinha said, "I have not heard that" and wondered how he could have been in the party for so many years right from the beginning.

"I have said it is my first and last party. I don't think it considers me as an enemy," he said.

The Patna Sahib BJP MP cited the love and support of the people as the reason for his victory and said, "Nitish babu has a significant contribution towards issues of law and order, administration, especially Bihar's progress and on good governance. He has been a tried, tested and successful chief minister and his track record has been good.

"After Jyoti Babu, in my view, Nitish babu has been a very good and respectable leader, both as a person and by his personality."

Sinha, who is popularly called 'Bihari babu', congratulated the people and leaders in Bihar for the victory of Kumar, which he said was for its pride and for taking Bihar forward on the path of progress.

From Kumar's residence, Sinha went to RJD chief Lalu Prasad's residence to congratulate him. Sinha's comments throughout the elections caused discomfiture to BJP as he stayed off campaigning after complaining of a "conspiracy" by a section of state party leaders.

Asked if there was any thought of leaving BJP, the two- term MP, said, "I have been with the BJP when it was a party of two MPs and this would probably be my last party too."

Asked what he would do if BJP were to take action against him, Sinha, also said, "Agar o action le, hum usko haat pakar nahi sakta" (Even if the party takes action, I can't stop their hand).

He, meanwhile, said that the poll outcome reflected that "people of Bihar liked 'Bihari' and not 'Bahri'". Sinha had yesterday termed the Grand Alliance win as a "victory of democracy" and taken a swipe at the BJP brass, saying that the issue of "Bihari versus Bahri" had been settled once and for all.

After meeting RJD President Lalu Prasad, Sinha termed him as a "family friend" and said Prasad had emerged as a "magician" in the Bihar Assembly poll.

"Lalu Prasad has emerged as a magician in the Bihar poll and become a national personality," Sinha told PTI.

About his own party, the actor-turned politician, said responsibility should be fixed on the leaders who managed the show in Bihar.

"Tali Kaptan ko to Gali bhi Kaptan ko milni chahiye (if kudos to Captain, he should also get the blame)," Sinha said quoting the Hindi proverb. He, however, said through this proverb he did not mean any individual, but the team which held the show in the state.

Sinha, who served as a minister in Vajpayee-led NDA government, said "if his voice was heard during poll, he would have advised that PM should not be over exposed in the state election."

"But whatever seats BJP got, it was due to the rigorous campaign of the PM. Otherwise we would not have got even this much," he said.

BJP got 53 seats, while its ally LJP and RLSP bagged two seats each and HAM 1 taking the total tally to 58 in the 243-member House.

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