BJP's Shatrughan Sinha rubs it in, calls Rahul Gandhi a rising star

NEW DELHI: A day after Rahul Gandhi's high-voltage charge against PM Modi, disgruntled BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha fired another salvo, hailing the Congress vice president as a "rising star".

The actor-turned-politician praised the Nitish Kumar-led Grand Alliance's big win in the state polls in a series of tweets, congratulating it hours before the oath-taking ceremony.

"It has been the victory of democracy. I wish the new government led by Nitish babu, Laluji and rising star Rahul Gandhi great success," the Patna Sahib MP tweeted on Thursday night.

Sinha's meeting with Nitish Kumar after the poll results were declared raised many eyebrows within the party, who saw it as an open act of defiance.

It has been the victory of democracy. I wish the new government led by Nitish babu, Laluji and rising star Rahul Gandhi great success.

— Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) November 19, 2015

"I welcome Nitish "Susashan" Babu, messiah of development as CM of Bihar & congratulate Laluji, leader of masses for massive victory in Bihar," said another tweet by Sinha, who added that "despite his best intention", he will not be able to attend the swearing-in ceremony at Patna's Gandhi Maidan on Friday.

Union ministers Venkaiah Naidu and Rajiv Pratap Rudy are expected to represent the BJP at Nitish Kumar's swearing-in. Sinha mentioned the two in another tweet. "Appreciate Centre's gesture of deputing my friend Venkaiah Naidu and few other small leaders to attend swearing-in ceremony of Nitish Babu," he said in another tweet.

On Wednesday, Sinha had dared the BJP to act against him and RK Singh, the BJP MP from Arrah. "RK Singh, former Home Secretary and a proud Bihari 'sher' is right. No one has the guts or the DNA to give us a 'phatkaar' (reprimand)," he had tweeted.

Singh had accused the BJP of selling tickets and giving them to criminals in the Bihar elections, calling it the main reasons of the party's debacle.

Sinha had claimed the Bihar poll results could have been different for his party had he been projected as the chief ministerial candidate.

"I am not bragging, but I do feel that when the darling (laadla) of Bihar people, the dhartiputra (son of the soil) and the original 'Bihari babu' was deliberately sidelined, it definitely had an impact on my supporters and fans. I can't say how much difference it could have been, but I can definitely say, some difference would have been there. We could have definitely got more seats than what we got," he told a news channel.