If PM can contest from Varanasi, why can't I fight bypoll in Asansol: Shatrughan Sinha

KOLKATA: In response to the BJP's outsider barb against him, Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate for Asansol Lok Sabha by-poll Shatrughan Sinha cited the instance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that if a Gujarati could contest from Varanasi why couldn't he contest from Asansol.

The Asansol Lok Sabha constituency consists of a mixed population of coal mine workers, factory workers, scrap dealers and minority population. About 50 per cent of the electorates are Hindi-speaking and therefore a candidate like Sinha, who is a popular face, is a well-chosen persona to connect with them.

According to Sinha, although Modi had been a resident of Gujarat, he contested from Varanasi in Lok Sabha polls. Though he contested from Varanasi, he could not speak the local language of that place.

Sinha was in BJP before joining TMC. The Asansol seat fell vacant after two-term BJP MP from Asansol, Babul Supriyo, quit BJP and joined TMC. Sources in TMC said after inducting national leaders like Yashwant Sinha, Sushmita Dev and Luizinho Faleiro, actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha, was the TMC's latest catch as part of its national expansion plan.

By bringing in prominent and senior leaders with a national-level presence, the TMC was trying to project itself as a truly national party having a sound arsenal to go after the BJP. The party intends to gain from their experience to put up a strong opposition in both houses of the Parliament.