RSS top leader Bhaiyaji Joshi meets unhappy BJP MP R K Sinha

RSS general secretary Bhaiyaji Joshi on Wednesday held talks with BJP Rajya Sabha member R K Sinha, in what is being seen as an attempt at damage control ahead of polling at the crucial Patna Sahib seat.

Sinha, who wanted the party ticket for himself or his son Rituraj, which ultimately went to Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, is said to have been upset with the BJP leadership ignoring his claim.

The supporters of Sinha and Prasad had clashed at Patna airport last month when the latter had arrived in the capital city after declaration of his candidature.

The seat is currently held by actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha, who quit the BJP last month and is contesting as the Congress candidate.

 

The billionaire businessman, who is the founder of the private security solutions provider SIS, enjoys tremendous popularity among the members of his Kayastha caste which has a sizeable presence in the Lok Sabha constituency and to which both the BJP and the Congress candidates also belong.

In March, ahead of the NDAs announcement of candidates, the Akhil Bharatiya Kayasth Mahasabha had issued a statement urging the BJP to field Sinha from the seat after it became evident that the Bollywood actor of yesteryears was set to switch sides.

There had been apprehensions that any disaffection on R K Sinhas part could cost the BJP dearly in the event of a close contest.

Emerging from his meeting with Joshi that took place at the RSS office here and lasted for about an hour, Sinha however declined to comment saying deliberations with the Sangh are never meant for public consumption.

To pointed queries as to whether elections for Patna Sahib figured during his talks with the RSS no. 2, Sinha shot back we can speak about that at some other time.

Patna Sahib goes to polls in the final phase of general elections on May 2019. It came into being after the delimitation of 2008 and has been won on both occasions by the BJP with Shatrughan Sinha as its candidate.