In a huge setback to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), an opposition grand alliance ( Mahagathbandhan) led by chief minister Nitish Kumar has dealt a shocker to NDA by securing a landslide two-thirds majority in the legislative assembly of Bihar.
• The Bihar election results saw Grand Alliance decimate the BJP-led NDA in a bitterly-contested assembly polls.
• The BJP-led NDA, for which Modi mounted an aggressive campaign addressing more than 30 rallies, bagged 58 seats.
• For Modi, the Bihar results are seen as a personal setback.
Bihar Polls: #Mahagathbandhan 178 seats, #BJP+ 58, Others 7 #RJD 80 #JDU 71 #Congress 27 https://t.co/uy5mMlbB3L pic.twitter.com/eoRYScA8bZ
— The Indian Panorama (@theindpanorama) November 8, 2015
The alliance, comprising of Nitish Kumar’s Janta Dal (United), JDU, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) and Congress, has won 178 seats while BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has been reduced to 58 as per Election Commission website. Nitish Kumar thanked everyone in his tweet after trends showed clear majority to the Grand alliance.
I thank the people of Bihar for their overwhelming support & blessings for the Mahagathbandhan. — Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) November 5, 2015
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had put up an aggressive campaign addressing over 30 rallies, called up Kumar to congratulate him on the poll victory.
“Had a telephone conversation with Shri @nitishkumar & congratulated him on the victory,” Modi tweeted.
Immediately thereafter, Kumar tweeted, “Just received a phone call from the Prime Minister congratulating me…thank you Modiji.”
BJP chief Amit Shah also congratulated Kumar and Lalu on the massive victory.
“Our good wishes to the new government to take Bihar on the path of development,” he said.
“We respect the mandate of the people of Bihar… I congratulate Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav on their victory in Bihar Assembly elections,” the BJP chief tweeted.
Initially, many television channels had projected the NDA to be in the lead. In the last assembly polls in 2010, the JDU had won 115 seats while BJP won in 91 when both parties had an alliance.
Election Commission has released the final tally of Bihar Assembly elections results. Here’s the status of 243 constituencies:
RJD: 80
JD(U): 71
BJP: 53
Congress: 27
Independent: 4
CPI (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation): 3
LJP: 2
RLSP: 2
HAM(S): 1
This is the victory of secularism and defeat of communal and divisive forces. Hopefully, the politics of divide and hatred will come to an end.