Bihar Elections 2015: Mahagathbandhan gets two-third majority, BJP stumbles to defeat
The grand alliance is all set to score a landslide victory with nearly a two-thirds majority to give Nitish Kumar a third term in power
The grand alliance on Sunday scored a landslide victory with a two-third majority to give Nitish Kumar a third term in power after decimating the BJP-led alliance in the high-stakes assembly elections in Bihar.
Addressing media, Lalu said, "Women, dalits, poor, backward & middle class have all voted for the grand alliance.It is a very heartening that leaders from across the political spectrum greeted us."
He further added, "I will tour the country and create a people's movement against Modi government; Bihar results will have long-term impact on national politics. We will root out and throw away the Modi sarkar. Keeping Modi govt in Delhi will break country into pieces."
Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Sonia Gandhi after they called to congratulate him on putting the JD(U)-led grand alliance on the road to victory in the assembly polls.
Conceding defeat, BJP chief Amit Shah congratulated Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad on their massive victory and said his party respected the people's mandate.
"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.
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The grand alliance is all set to score a landslide victory with nearly a two-thirds majority to give Nitish Kumar a third term in power
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal termed the verdict a referendum against the Narendra Modi government as the BJP-led NDA stared at defeat at the hands of the grand alliance in the state.
"The Bihar results are in a way a referendum (on Modi government). The way the prime minister was working with arrogance and pride and the manner in which the Modi-Amit Shah duo were functioning dictatorially, this poll result has broken the Centre's arrogance," he said.
Congratulating the people of Bihar on the victory of grand alliance, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said the Modi wave was on the wane and the real "achhe din" have begun for the people of India.
"We congratulate the people of Bihar and also the grand alliance for their landmark victory. Achhe din have finally begun for the people," Yechury said in his reaction to the Bihar poll result.
"The Modi wave had already halted in Delhi, yesterday in Kerala and now in Bihar," Yechury said adding it was dubbed a tsunami, but it only succeeded in bringing destruction to the country.
We had never thought that Mahagatbandhan will perform so well, congratulate Nitish ji and Lalu ji: Chirag Paswan
We introduced ourselves to people of Bihar, have established our organisation there. The larger picture is that it is a personal defeat of Modi. Wherever there will be a non-Congress face, Modi and BJP will lose from there: Asaduddin Owaisi
#BiharResults Latest party wise breakdown: RJD 76 | JDU 73 | BJP 59 | INC 18 | LJP 3 | RLSP 4 | HAM 1 | BSP 1 | CPI 2 | Others 6
*Trends disappointing for us. If we lose, will have to find out the reason for their victory more than the reason of our defeat: Manoj Tiwari
* We congratulate Nitish Kumar on his win, we will introspect on our defeat. RK Singh and Shatrughan Sinha have betrayed us, action should be taken against them: BJP General Secretary P Murlidhar Rao
Every election is a learning curve for all political parties, will accept whatever the final result is: MA Naqvi, BJP
This is a big win for Nitish Kumar, he has emerged as a political hero. We congratulate him. This result will be a turning point in the country's political future: Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut
Celebration outside CM Nitish Kumar's residence in Patna
* With the Mahagathbandhan crossing the half-way mark in leads and possibly heading for a landslide victory. Celebrations commenced outside the Patna residence of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav.
* Lalu's daughter Misa Bharti expressed her delight with the early trends tilting in favour of the grand alliance and predicted that the Mahagathbandhan will cross 140 seat mark.
Celebration outside RJD Office in Patna after trends now show Mahagathbandhan leading #BiharResults pic.twitter.com/Gg5jR8MLUo
— ANI (@ANI_news) November 8, 2015
We had already predicted this.It is a defeat for BJP and Mr.Modi: Pawan Verma,JDU
Must wait for final results, we believe things will be in our favor at the end: Sudhanshu Trivedi
I congratulate people of Bihar. I think we will get close to 150 seats: Sharad Yadav on trends showing Mahagatbandhan leading.
"NDA hi jitegi, hamari sarkar banegi" (NDA will win, we will form the government), says Giriraj Singh.
Mahagathbandan is leading according to latest Election Commission data. Mahagathbandhan leading in 101, NDA 70, Other 10
Jitan Ram Manjhi trailing in Makhdumpur seat by 278 votes after first round of counting.
#BiharResults I Live Images from A.N College, where counting is in progress. (Courtesy: iamin.in)
We will surely win with very conclusive majority. People of Bihar need change: Ravi Shankar Prasad
Trends indicate we are winning, number of factors behind our good showing: Ram Madhav, BJP
BJP will form the government. The way people have voted for the development, I congratulate them. Credit for this will go to Modi ji & Amit Shah ji's leadership: Kailash Vijayvargiya
Ram Vilas Paswan's nephew Prine Raj of LJP trailing in Kalyanpur
Latest trends: BJP leading in 63 seats, JD(U) in 34 seats.
Bihar Minister Shyam Rajak leading from Phulwari Sharif, BJP's Nand Kishore Yadav leading from Patna Sahib.
Ramai Ram of JDU trailing from Bochahan
#Bihar early leads now : BJP + ahead in 43 seats, Mahagathbandhan in 23
* RJD Chief Lalu Yadav's son Tejashwi Yadav leading from Raghopur seat in early trends.
Prem Kumar of BJP leading in Gaya Town
Supporters bring sweets to Lalu Prasad Yadav's residence in Patna
Shakuni Chowdhury leading from Tarapur | Brother of Ram Vilas Paswan Pashupathi Paras leading.
Early trends shows BJP ahead in three constituencies.
Counting of votes for Bihar Assembly elections begin.
Big day, fight between two 'D's today - 'Development' & 'Desperation' for existence. I am sure for the benefit of Bihar, benefit of the nation, development would be victorious because Bihar has to march ahead : Sambit Patra
* Surprised that Lalu ji only said 190 seats and not 210 or more. In reality Mahagatbandhan has failed: Jitan Ram Manjhi
* I have no wish as such but if a situation arises where I am asked to be the CM, then I will accept it and not back off: Jitan Ram Manjhi
Lalu ji has played a key role in Bihar politics, good or bad that is debatable: Chirag Paswan, LJP
Good morning, we are winning: RJD's Lalu Prasad Yadav before counting begins for #BiharElections
A loss for BJP will reinvigorate the opposition ranks and help Kumar acquire a key role in national politics after he suffered a big setback in the Lok Sabha polls.
A win for the saffron alliance will help BJP shake off the opposition attack on it over the "climate of intolerance" and embolden it to push its agenda ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament.
Counting of votes in the high-stakes close-to-call Bihar assembly elections will began at 8:00 am