India’s ruling party accepts defeat in crucial state poll

“As far as I am concerned, the only exit poll that matters is the exit poll that will start about 8.00 am tomorrow morning”. He adds that Modi has become as arrogant in one year as the Congress grew over many years.

After congratulating his Bihar counterpart and JD-U leader Nitish Kumar on the historic victory, Kejriwal referred to the rising prices of food items. The bitterness the BJP tried to inject was defeated.

BJP leaders were hopeful of turning the tide in Bihar, to prove that the Delhi defeat was a fluke.

“And whatever communal issue the BJP has got, is only to polarise the vote in this election, which the people of Bihar did not accept”, said Siddaramaiah.

However, a spokesman for the Hindu-led nationalist party rejected suggestions the result for the state assembly was a personal blow for Mr Modi, saying the BJP “managed a creditable performance”. Humility over arrogance. Love over hate.

“The people of Bihar have given a decisive verdict”, Kohli told NDTV news channel. “But if your sample is truly random and if your questionnaire is worded properly and if you do field work and analyse it well with statistical techniques, Indians are more willing than others to be interviewed”.

Running for a third consecutive term in Bihar, Nitish is hugely popular for engineering an economic turnaround and making it India’s fastest growing state last year-not unlike the rapid development Modi is credited with bringing about during his four terms as leader of the western state of Gujarat.

Advising Mr. Modi to learn from the Bihar elections and focus on the country, he said he hopes that the PM will stop interfering in the States. The importance of a state election is largely magnified to suggest the longevity of a central government. This is exactly what he is doing. “All the parties opposing each other came together, this definitely affects an election result because arithmetic affects an election”.

This is also the second time for the BJP to have lost a local legislative election since taking power.

The party is likely to touch double digits in the number of seats won for the first time since the assembly elections in February 2005. Women have voted in large numbers. While Lalu Yadav would at a public meeting make fun of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, drawing laughter, in his inimitable fashion. Glued to their TV sets, a lot of them looked puzzled because of contradictory exit poll predictions. We can expect early trends in about an hour from now.

Accompanied by a smiling Kumar, his foe-turned-ally, Prasad said, “We will continue with our fight”. “In reality, Maha Gatbandhan has failed”, he said.

The grand alliance’s campaign for the elections was a mix of Nitish Kumar’s sobriety and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad Yadav’s humour with the latter emerging as what many voters said, the “old Lalu” with the swagger and the laughter. It has also banned two BJP ads from being used in newspapers, for having the potential to create hatred, ill-will and disharmony.

On the rival side, the National Democratic Alliance was ahead in 66 seats. This would dramatically change the balance in favour of the Grand Alliance, which would enjoy a lead of 3-5% over the NDA.