Shatrughan to contest from Patna Sahib

BJP workers clash with protesters who waved black flags at him

BJP candidate from Patna Sahib Shatrughan Sinha arrives with wife and son to file his nomination papers in Patna on Friday. Photo: Ranjeet Kumar

Black flags and a street fight greeted the cavalcade of actor-politician and Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Shatrughan Sinha when he went to file his nomination papers for the Patna Sahib Lok Sabha constituency on Friday.

As a group of protesters waved black flags at Mr. Sinha, BJP supporters swung into action and beat up the agitators, creating chaos at the busy intersection. The protesters were unhappy with Mr. Sinha’s alleged poor performance in his constituency. A similar black-flag protest was staged and protesters were roughed up outside the BJP office on Tuesday upon Mr. Sinha’s arrival.

It is not certain whether the disgruntled lot were a splinter group of the BJP. The police told

The Hindu that a group calling itself the Lokhit Yuva Vikas Morcha and led by Aman Kumar Jha, gave a written complaint to a local police station on Tuesday and complained of ill-treatment by BJP workers. They also aired their grievances against Mr. Sinha, alleging that he had not used his local area MP fund.

In the police complaint, the group denied being part of the BJP. But, it is believed that the group was clearly opposing Mr. Sinha’s candidature from Patna Sahib. “If they just wanted to air their grievances, they did it the day before. Why do it again? It seems they were opposing his candidature.”

Rival political sources said Mr. Jha was earlier “associated” with the BJP but left the party two years ago to form his own Morcha.

Earlier, there was a discussion in the BJP to consider Mr. Sinha for a seat in Delhi. Senior leader Ravi Shankar Prasad was also trying for the Patna Sahib seat, BJP sources said. But it is not clear if the seat allocation could have been the possible trigger for the protests.

Mr. Sinha himself dismissed it as “a stunt to attract media attention.” “There is no unrest. I am going to better last year’s record victory,” he said.