File picture of Shatrughan Sinha.
The BJP leadership believes Shatrughan Sinha has displayed gross indiscipline by persistently speaking out of turn in the run-up to the crucial Bihar elections, but immediate action against the Patna lawmaker is unlikely, sources say.
That is because the party believes that acting against the outspoken politician just yet could elevate his status and also give him the freedom to openly target the party. Punishment, said sources, will come, but only after the Bihar elections, due by November.
Mr Sinha meanwhile is undeterred by his party's obvious displeasure at his unbridled criticism of the BJP and praise for political rivals like Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar in public comments recently. In a series of tweets today, he offered some unsolicited advise designed to rile his party again.
"I believe we should have announced our CM candidate. Not putting forward a candidate is a result of some confusion in our own camp," tweeted Mr Sinha, who is said to have fancied his chances at being the BJP's presumptive Chief Minister and is miffed at being conspicuously sidelined.
He also said, "I strongly suggest the able, capable, acceptable, respectable and secular Ram Vilas Paswan as the potential/consensus CM candidate of Bihar from our side."
This is not the first time that Shatrughan Sinha has made the politically awkward suggestion that ally Mr Paswan lead their coalition in Bihar. But today's proposal came as the BJP grappled with pressure tactics by Mr Paswan's party, which made a public demand for more seats to contest in the Bihar elections than the BJP is said to be ready to concede.
Mr Sinha's recent meetings and praise for Nitish Kumar have upset the BJP at a time when it hopes to deny Mr Kumar a third term as chief minister and in his backing Mr Paswan, party leaders saw an attempt to create a rift between the BJP and the ally.
"The idea is to help Nitish Kumar," a senior BJP leader alleged.