Indian PM Suffers Defeat in Bihar State Elections

The BJP, which announced “development” as its main plank, kept changing its election pitch apparently realising that the Grand Alliance of JD (U)-RJD and Congress was putting up a well-knit cohesive fight and giving it a run for its money.

After facing humiliating defeat in the Bihar assembly elections, the BJP is under fire from its own senior party men over its poll campaign led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Modi-Amit Shah company have taken over the party and suppressed all the dissenting voice sidelined all the senior leaders”. An alliance of regional parties took 178 seats.

The Modi “magic” failed to enthuse voters in the state as the BJP managed merely 58 seats in the high-voltage election while six seats went to Others.

In the first challenge to Modi since he emerged the undisputed leader of the party and the government in May past year, the veterans including Shanta Kumar and Yashwant Sinha issued a brief but strongly-worded statement that demanded a thorough review of the debacle.

“Top party leaders including Modi are responsible for it (defeat)”, the outspoken MP from Begusarai Lok Sabha constituency told the media here. “So they went to Nitish who was dignified”, the eight-time Bihar MLA who is serving second term as MP said.

When contacted by IANS, Yadav said: “I have said whatever I had to… what else do you want me to say on it?” “The party collectively wins and collectively loses, ” he said. “All this led to his victory”, Sena said.

The Congress has finished third or fourth in assembly polls in Haryana, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand held after the Lok Sabha polls past year where it put up its most dismal performance – winning only 44 seats.

But Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said Modi can not be blamed for BJP’s rout in Bihar assembly elections and dismissed the view that the party had become arrogant. The Prime Minister also called up Nitish Kumar and congratulated him on his victory.

Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha said in tweets: “Wishing great luck to our victorious friends and appealing for introspection to our people”.