Shatrughan Sinha receives invitation for Nitish Kumar's oath taking ceremony

Sinha however said he would not be able to attend the function due to personal engagements

Sulking BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha today said he received an invitation from Bihar Chief Minister designate Nitish Kumar for the oath taking ceremony tomorrow but would not be able to attend the function due to "important personal engagements."

"I received invitation from 'friend' (Nitish Kumar) and I wanted to come for the oath taking function but will not be able to attend it due to important personal engagements," Sinha told PTI.

"I conveyed my inability to come for the function to my friend," Sinha, the BJP Lok Sabha member from Patna Sahib, said from temple city of Puri in Odisha.

The actor-turned-BJP leader is visiting Lord Jagannath temple along with wife Poonam Sinha.

About BJP's performance in the Bihar polls, Sinha quipped, "I will pray to Lord Jagannath that good sense prevails on my party to overcome the shortcomings exposed during Bihar elections."

Sinha appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for accepting Nitish Kumar's invitation and deputing Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu along with some "Chota Mota" (small time) ministers to represent the union government at the oath taking ceremony.

State BJP Vice President Sanjay Mayukh said Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Rajiv Pratap Rudy would accompany Naidu to the ceremony at Gandhi Maidan here tomorrow.

Speculation was rife here whether Shatrughan Sinha popularly known as 'Bihari Babu' would attend the oath taking ceremony of rival JD(U), RJD and Congress coalition government.