Asansol: With Chhath Puja just around the corner, posters came up in several parts of West Bengal's Asansol, bordering Jharkhand, on Friday, reminding the absence of Lok Sabha MP Shatrughan Sinha who scored a landslide victory last year in assembly elections representing the constituency.
"The Honourable MP Shatrughan Sinha, who goes by the name of 'Bihari Babu', is absent from his Lok Sabha constituency during the greatest festival of Biharis, 'Chhath Puja'" said a poster in Hindi.
The septuagenarian actor-turned-politician had promised to be in Asansol during Chhath Puja. The issue has visibly picked up steam, with both the Opposition BJP and ruling TMC pushing their own explanations about the disappearance.
"Chhath Pujo is one of the big festivals for the non-Bengalis here. But Bihari Babu is not seen anywhere in the festival. I heard he has bought a house in Asansol, where only a caretaker stays. The people of Asansol don't get him," local BJP leader Malay Ghatak said, addressing the issue.
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Sinha was last seen inaugurating different Durga Puja pandals in the area earlier this year. Trinamool, meanwhile, alleged that the reputation of Sinha was being tarnished.
"Some crazy people are doing this. They are putting up posters. The MP lives here. He meets people. He talks. He has not been able to come for the last few days. There is also a puja at his house. On this occasion, someone has put up a poster in the dark of night. If you have courage, when Shatrughan Sinha comes, tell him these things face to face. Attempts are being made to disturb the peace," trashing allegations of absence, Council Salim Akhtar Ansari said.
Both parties, however, have amped up their public relations owing to the festive season. While former Mayor and BJP leader Jitendra Tiwari distributed clothes among locals, Asansol Deputy Mayor Abhijit Ghatak and Mayor of Council Gurudas Chattopadhyay are learned to have started similar distribution of gifts and saris among the local population.
