RJD-LJP Minnowed in Bihar

Breakaway United Progressive Alliance faction heads and former union ministers Lalu Prasad Yadav of Rashtriya Janata Dal and Ram Vilas Paswan of the Lok Janashakti Party suffered huge poll reversals in Bihar, where several factors including a swing in the state’s sizeable minority vote led to the debacle.

Paswan’s LJP failed to open its innings this year against the four Lok Sabha victories it scored back in 2004, so huge was the reverse swing meted by the voters that Paswan himself was trailing in his political mainstay of Hajipur.

While the JD(U) and BJP gleaned voters away from the secularists, gloom descended in the RJD camp, as the Lalu Prasad led party struggled to come to terms with by far the worst poll showing since its meteoric rise some two decades ago.

The RJD emerged as the biggest loser in the state with leads in only two parliamentary segment a huge come down from the previous showing of 22, five years ago.

The JD(U) driving in the hardest nail under chief minister Nitish Kumar is set to gain 15 odd seats to take its 2004 share of 6 seats to 21.

Coming in second, the BJP with one win and leads in 11 seats is all set to take its tally 12 from its previous poll showing of five in 2004.

Though, Lalu Prasad is yet to react to poll results, secular partner in Fourth Front Paswan says that the defeat could not be construed as the end of his political career.

Nitish Kumar addressing correspondents congratulated victors in the poll outing and said the JD(U) victory should be viewed as an extension of the mood prevalent in the electorate since the Vidhan Sabha elections in the state.

He termed the vote in the state as “positive” and attributed it to the inclusive democracy ptactised by his government.