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  • /Lok Sabha polls: Shatrughan Sinha to challenge Ravi Shankar Prasad in Bihar's Patna Sahib 

Lok Sabha polls: Shatrughan Sinha to challenge Ravi Shankar Prasad in Bihar's Patna Sahib 

Lok Sabha polls: Shatrughan Sinha to challenge Ravi Shankar Prasad in Bihar's Patna Sahib 

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and former BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha

Congress party on Saturday announced that veteran actor and former BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha will contest the ensuing Lok Sabha elections from Bihar's Patna Sahib constituency.

The development came within hours after Sinha officially joined the Congress party today.

Shatrughan Sinha, a vocal critic of the BJP leadership, was denied the BJP ticket from Patna Sahib parliamentary constituency in Bihar. The party fielded Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad from the seat instead.

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Sinha had a long association with the BJP. He was the minister for shipping and health and family welfare during former Prime Minister Vajpayee's term.

He won the Patna Sahib Lok Sabha seat in 2009 and then again during the BJP wave under Narendra Modi in 2014.

The National Democratic Alliance, last month, released its list Lok Sabha candidates in Bihar and named Prasad its candidate from Patna Sahib seat.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which will contest the general polls in Bihar in alliance with Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) and Ram Vilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), will contest 17 seats.

According to reports, the JD(U) will also fight on 17 seats while 6 seats go to the LPJ.

Bihar will vote in all the seven phases of the general election from April 11 to May 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.