PATNA: Actor-turned politician Shatrughan Sinha, BJP’s star campaigner for many years, is staying aloof from National Democratic Alliance’s electioneering in Bihar. And he is not wanted by the party either. Bharatiya Janata Party president L K Advani has given him permission to stay away from the campaign.

What has gone wrong with Sinha? While his detractors said he was no longer the potent force he used to be till a few years back, his supporters thought his absence from the poll arena would severely affect NDA’s outcome. They said Sinha was vastly responsible for NDA’s good performance during the February polls.

Sinha told the Times of India over phone from Mumbai, “I am not indispensable. The show must go on. I wish every success to NDA in the polls. I am staying away from campaigning due to personal and political reasons.

“This is my silent and disciplined protest against NDA tickets given to people having criminal antecedents,” he said.

Sinha had also not participated in Nyay Rath Yatra taken out by NDA’s chief ministerial candidate in five phases.

In a recent letter to Advani, Sinha had raised the issue of criminalization of politics and distribution of tickets to candidates with criminal backgrounds. He even wondered how BJP can justify its claim of being a party with a difference.

After all, NDA never misses an opportunity to attack the UPA government on the presence of tainted ministers in the Manmohan cabinet. He refuted rumours that he was unhappy after BJP decided to project JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar as NDA’s chief ministerial candidate.

Contrary to that he said he had accepted the party’s decision with all humility. Moreover, he said, BJP was not in a position to project any party leader as NDA’s chief ministerial candidate as it was contesting 102 seats against JD(U)’s 141.

“I have great regard for Nitish Kumar. I also hold state BJP chief Sushil K Modi in high esteem,” Sinha added. He denied rumours suggesting he was toying with the idea of joining some other party.

“These are being spread by vested interests.”—By arrangement with The Times of India