Shiv Sena also has a reason to celebrate Bihar poll results, as the party has got 1.9 lakh votes on the 150 seats it contested for the first time independently.
Shiv Sena also has a reason to celebrate Bihar poll results, as the party has got 1.9 lakh votes on the 150 seats it contested for the first time independently. The Sena is now seeing itself as an alternative to BJP in Bihar. The party chief Uddhav Thackeray was also the first leader to congratulate JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar for the victory.
“We have so far got 1.9 lakh votes from 150 seats that we contested for the first time. We are hoping that the votes will increase by the end of the results. Our candidates have won 5,000 to 10,000 votes individually. The Sena has emerged as an alternative to the BJP in Bihar,” said Shiv Sena’s incharge of Bihar elections Sunil Chitnis.
Appreciating Nitish Kumar’s work, Mr Chitnis said he has really contributed to development of the state. “I have been associated with Bihar since the last 40 years. I came to Bihar for the first time with late socialist leader S.M. Joshi and have been observing the state. Nitish Kumar’s contribution is undisputed,” Mr Chitnis said.
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray was the first to congratulate the JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar over phone as the results showed clear mandate to the grand alliance. “Uddhavji telephoned Nitish Kumar on the Bihar win, congratulated him and called it a victory of his leadership qualities,” said a Sena leader quoting Uddhav. He reportedly told Nitish: “You worked a lot and did a good job to convince the voters and this is why people of Bihar expressed their faith and mandated you once more to govern.” Sources in the party claimed that Shiv Sena contributed to the BJP’s defeat by eating into their votes. Even BJP leaders have accepted the fact. The sources also pointed out that the vicious, polarising campaign by the BJP led the party towards defeat.
Not leaving this opportunity to take a dig at BJP, Sena MP Sanjay Raut attributed the defeat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “I congratulate Nitish Kumar for the victory. When party wins it is always the leader who gets credit. Like during Lok Sabha polls, Narendra Modi got all the credit and was praised. When Congress lost, everyone blamed Sonia Gandhi. BJP fought the Bihar elections under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. BJP should accept it. Defeat denotes the decline of a leader,” he said. Mr Raut also said that it was the defeat of Modi’s arrogance and it had cost them the Bihar polls.
Claiming that Shiv Sena would win over 160 seats in Maharashtra if elections are contested now, Mr Raut said that the Bihar elections would have an impact here. “If elections are held in Maharashtra now, the results will be the same,” Mr Raut said.
Meanwhile, MNS chief Raj Thackeray also congratulated Nitish Kumar and RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav for the success. “It a victory for the politics of regional pride, development and social justice. I feel that development of Bihar should happen so rapidly that Biharis will not migrate to Maharashtra and other states. Migrant Biharis from all the states must aspire to go back to their own state. Once again congratulations for a stupendous victory,” he said.
