Shatrughan dares BJP again, 'openly' meets Nitish, Lalu

Bharatiya Janata Party member of Parliament Shatrughan Sinha, who is not on good terms with his party after being ‘sidelined’ during Bihar election campaign, has met ‘dear friends’ Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad separately.

Sinha, who is the BJP Lok Sabha member from Patna Sahib, had a cordial meeting with Prasad at Patna Airport on Tuesday.

Sinha posted a photograph of the meet on Twitter with a caption, 'Meeting openly.... and boldly'.

Prasad, accompanied by wife Rabri Devi, exchanged pleasantries with Shatrughan and his elder brother Lakhan Sinha and went for nice photo-op of the interaction.

Sources close to Sinha who were with him at the time said Prasad in a lighter vein patted the ‘Bihari Babu’ for single-handedly taking on the leadership of the BJP for trying to sideline him.

"It's a matter of appreciation that you alone have posed a challenge to the BJP leadership," the RJD supremo said.

Sinha, who is the second term MP from Patna Sahib, had a warm and cordial meeting with Nitish at a marriage function on Monday night during which they shared fond memories and affection for each other.

Kumar quipped during meeting, ‘election time was good that we used to meet very often unlike now. We should meet more frequently,’ sources close to Sinha said.

When asked about his meeting with rivals Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad, Sinha said, “I believe in the maxim ‘once a friend always a friend’.”

“We know each other very well since long and our friendship should not be seen only from political angle...it’s friendship forever,” the BJP leader said.

Sinha, a close associate of BJP veteran L K Advani, who is cut up with the party leadership after being sidelined in the recent Bihar elections, have caused embarrassment to his party on several occasions by meeting Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad and also praising them.

Nitish Kumar had also reciprocated and described Sinha in recent times as ‘pride of Bihar’.

Photograph: BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha with RJD chief Lalu Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi and others in Patna. Photograph: @ShatruganSinha/ Twitter