PM enemy of backward castes: Lalu

Senior BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha on Monday said leaders from allies, like Ramvilas Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi, should be considered being named as NDA’s Chief Ministerial candidate for Bihar polls even though his party is yet to decide whether it wants to project anyone for the post.

“There should not be any hard and fast rule that only a BJP leader could become CM candidate of the NDA. Considering <g data-gr-id="22">vast</g> experience of Union minister Ramvilas Paswan and former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi, they could also be thought for the job,” Sinha, BJP Lok Sabha member from Patna Sahib, said.

“First timer Manohar Lal Khattar was made Chief Minister of Haryana. Then why not somebody like Paswan and Manjhi could be entrusted with the top job in Bihar,” he said, adding earlier Nitish Kumar was given this honour by the party. Sinha also praised expelled RJD MP and Jan Adhikar Party leader Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav.

“Pappu Yadav and his wife Ranjeeta Ranjan’s performance in Parliament has been appreciated by many. Pappu Yadav has shown tremendous maturity,” the actor-turned-BJP leader said. He, however, said there was no dearth of leaders in BJP in the state and took names of Sushil Kumar Modi and Nand Kishore Yadav who are capable of becoming chief minister.

Asked about himself, Sinha, second-term Lok Sabha MP from Patna Sahib and who has been star campaigner of BJP for long, said he was not in the race for CM’s post.