Modi to push on with reforms despite crushing poll loss

“Modi staked his political leadership and the performance of this government on this election”.

Their analyses have pointed out BJP leaders’ communal and arrogant remarks they have made in the run up to the elections.

Prasad, whose party returned to the political forefront in the state after 10 years, said Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi would be the first stop for him where he would search with the help of his “lantern” (RJD’s symbol) the development promised by the prime minister during Lok Sabha polls.

“The BJP was not defeated in Bihar, it committed suicide”, he added.

The loss also damages Modi’s longer term goal of securing control of the upper house by winning a series of upcoming state elections.

The election came against a background of concerns in India at incidents in which Muslims have been targeted by Hindu zealots.

The BJP needed a win in Bihar to boost PM Modi’s chances of building the parliamentary strength he needs to push through key reforms.

At the AICC briefing, Joshi also steered clear of questions whether Congress would declare its Chief Ministerial candidates in poll-going states like the Grand Alliasnce had done in Bihar by successfully projecting Nitish Kumar.

“Nitish Kumar has emerged as a mahanayak (superhero)”. In a statement last night, the BJP said the healthy precedent of collective responsibility for poll victories and defeats was set by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani.

“There is possibly a lot of interest about Bihar and elections in India (in Pakistan) and state elections are examined with a great deal of interest all over the world”, he said. “But what has our prime minister done other than blabber and visit foreign countries?” asked Amardeep Yadav of Bihar who lives in Delhi. The resounding victory of the Nitish-Lalu combination has also prompted Gogoi to go soft on the state’s main opposition party, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), which is being led by perfume baron and MP from Dhubri Badruddin Ajmal.

“We try to learn from every election”.

The Bihar results will have impact on the five crucial upcoming state elections in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Assam to be held in 2016.

“We have to be single mindedly focused on development, development, development”, said Chandan Mitra, a BJP member of parliament.