Actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha, sulking for some time for not being given prominence within BJP, former minister Yashwant Singh, cinestar Hema Malini and former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje were prominent leaders staying away from the party's two-day national executive in Patna.
While it was immediately not known as to what prompted Yashwant to stay away, Hema Malini did not come on board reportedly to protest against the party's decision not to send her to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan.
Raje, who had a bitter relations with the former BJP president Rajnath Singh, also did not turn up for reasons best known to her, party sources said. Shatrughan said he will not attend the party rally here tomorrow and expressed concern over its functioning. "I am not not going to attend tomorrow's rally," Sinha, the BJP MP from Patna Sahib, said when his comment was sought on his arrival here from New Delhi.
"In fact, I am concerned the way the party is being run ...why senior leaders like Yashwant Sinha, B C Khandouri, Arun Shourie are being cornered," he said.
"It (the issue of BJP's functioning) should be raised at the party level...Hema Malini who should have got Rajya Sabha ticket has also not been invited in tomorrow's rally," he said adding, "so I am also not attending because my role has not been defined".
A 'Rashtriya Swabhiman' (national pride) rally will be held at the conclusion of the two-day BJP National Executive meet here which will be addressed by top party leaders like L K Advani and Nitin Gadkari, signalling the launch of the Bihar assembly election campaign of the party. PTI
