PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday said he was “taken aback” by the results of recent legislative council election to 24 seats. Kumar’s statement is seen as a sign of infighting within the ruling NDA as a senior Janata Dal (United) leader earlier said the alliance would have won more seats had the leaders avoided confrontation.
Talking to the media on the sidelines of the birth anniversary of Mauryan ruler Ashoka, Kumar said the results in some seats were contrary to the expectations. “I am amazed. In some places (constituencies) the candidates were confident about their victory based on the feedback they had received. But the results were just opposite,” he said.
Kumar’s statement came a day after senior JD-U leader and energy minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav said the NDA could have won more seats if there was no confrontation among the alliance leaders.
Yadav, considered close to the state chief minister, hinted at internal fights within the NDA resulting in electoral losses.
“Conflicting statements from some leaders of the BJP during the election period sent out a message that everything was not normal within the NDA,” Yadav said.
In the NDA camp, the BJP won seven seats while the JD-U bagged five. One seat went to the kitty of Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party of union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras.
In the opposition front, the RJD won six out of 23 seats it had contested. The Congress, which contested solo, had to contend with just one seat.
Though the NDA got 13 out of 24 seats, the opposition RJD increased its tally in the House from five to 11. This will enable it to retain the post of leader of opposition in the 75-member legislative council. The results have emboldened the RJD, which is set to give a tough fight to the NDA in the by-poll for Bochaha Assembly seat.
The by-poll is scheduled on April 12. The chief minister said he would campaign for NDA candidate Beby Kumari on April 10.
