Shatrughan favours Modi, Varun campaigning in Bihar

PATNA - Bharatiya Janata Party MP Shatrughan Sinha Saturday urged his party’s central leadership to invite Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and firebrand youth leader Varun Gandhi for campaigning in the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar.

“I personally want Modi and Varun to come to Bihar for campaigning in the upcoming assembly polls. But it is for the party central leadership to invite them,” Sinha told reporters here Saturday.

Sinha’s support for Modi comes four days after senior BJP leader and state Cooperatives Minister Giriraj Singh, a vocal supporter of Hindutva, announced he would want Narendra Modi to campaign in his constituency if he contests in the upcoming assembly elections.

Sinha said there was high demand for Modi and Varun among party workers and leaders, who will be contesting elections in October.

BJP’s alliance partner Janata Dal (United), which has been consistently making attempts to woo Muslim voters in the state, strongly opposed Modi’s visit to Bihar for the Lok Sabha election campaign in 2009.

Modi has not campaigned for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar in any election after the 2002 Godhra riots.

In June, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar returned Rs.5 crore given by Gujarat for flood-relief in 2008.

Differences between Nitish Kumar and the BJP began June 12 when he expressed displeasure over newspaper advertisements featuring him and Narendra Modi. An angry Nitish Kumar cancelled a dinner for BJP leaders attending its National Executive meeting here.