New Delhi: There is anger among people over the goods and services tax (GST) and demonetisation and the Gujarat Assembly election is not just a chunav (poll) but a chunauti (challenge) for the BJP, outspoken party MP Shatrughan Sinha said on Wednesday.

Sharing the dais with Congress leader Manish Tewari at a panel discussion on Tewari's book, Sinha also hit out at BJP bigwigs without naming them. "If a lawyer can talk about finances, if a TV actress can be the HRD minister and if a chaiwala can be... then why I cannot talk about economy?" he said, tongue firmly in cheek.

Sinha maintained that he was not challenging his party but "showing the mirror to it".

"From the writing on the wall and anger among people over GST, demonetisation, unemployment... seeing it, I don't want to say how many seats the BJP will get (in Gujarat) but certainly this election is going to be a special challenge," he said. "The matter is serious and this is not chunav but chunauti," he said.

Asked if he would join any other political party, the former Bollywood star replied with his signature dialogue: " Khamosh (shut up)". PTI