Patna, May 14: Shatrughan Sinha has said what many from the BJP secretly endorse but are loathe to voice publicly.

The actor-turned-MP has admitted that the BJP-JD(U) relationship in Bihar is “under strain”.

“There is no doubt that BJP-JD(U) alliance in Bihar is under strain and whatever I have been seeing in the party clearly shows that the BJP in Bihar does not have a bright future,” Sinha, the BJP MP from Patna Sahib, told The Telegraph.

The actor, nicknamed Shotgun for his propensity to call a spade a spade, said the BJP needs to be strengthened for its existence in Bihar. “The party has to work hard to strengthen its existence in Bihar. Good leaders should come forward to make the party stronger. But the present condition of the BJP in Bihar shows that the party has to struggle and work hard to make its presence felt,” said Sinha, among the first stars to have joined the party.

Sinha in fact has often taken pains to point out that he had joined the party when it had just two members in the Lok Sabha and thus should not be equated with other stars who came in when the lotus had bloomed.

The actor’s comments has come in the backdrop of the simmering tension between the allies which threatened to erupt following the remarks of health minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey who not only projected Narendra Modi as the future Prime Minister but also said that Bihar and its over 10 crore people were with the Gujarat chief minister.

The JD(U) believes the BJP is trying to eat into the party’s EBC votebank in a bid to widen its base in Bihar. A section of the BJP feels the party has “surrendered” to the JD(U) by not asserting itself on key issues such as the Rajya Sabha seat allocation.

Sinha though was not willing to go into the reasons for the uneasy ties. “I would not like to say the reason but yes, there is bitterness in the coalition. In spite of all this, I would like to wish all the best to the BJP in Bihar,” he said.

The actor gave vent to some of his own bitterness. “I must say that the state BJP has given me cold treatment. I am called to attend the functions at the last minute. I have my self-respect and dignity too, why should I attend those functions where there is no respect or courtesy extended to me,” said Sinha.

The Bihar BJP leadership, which has been trying to send the message that all is well between the allies, sought to distance itself from Sinha’s comments.

Health minister Choubey said: “Shatrughanji is a senior leader of the party and he must have spoken on his own. There is no strain at present between the allies and I can’t predict the future.”