Nagpur: Firing a fresh salvo at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Bihar poll debacle, disgruntled BJP lawmaker Shatrughan Sinha has said the "credit" for the seats won by the party in the state goes to Mr Modi and claimed that his attack on RJD chief Lalu Prasad backfired.
Mr Sinha also said that Bihar voters had understood that the announcement of economic package by Mr Modi was a "poll gimmick".
"All the credit goes to Modiji for the number seats won by BJP in Bihar and there should not be any doubt about it," Mr Sinha said while taking a jibe at the PM.
"Probably Modi was kept in dark about ground realities in Bihar by the party leadership. Outsiders were at the helm of affairs for electioneering, whereas 'Bihari Babu' (referring to himself), whom people of Patna sent to Parliament by a margin of lakhs, was deliberately kept out of the campaign, which also people (voters) took seriously and defeated BJP," Mr Sinha told a select group of mediapersons in Nagpur last night.
"There was no anti-incumbency factor against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the day the 'Grand Alliance' of Nitish Kumar-Lalu Prasad Yadav-Congress was formed, they won half the election," said Mr Sinha, who is in Nagpur for a function.
"This particular comment ('jungle raj') hurt the sentiments of the anti-BJP people of Bihar," he said, while pointing out that Lalu staged a comeback with flying colours, with "80 per cent success rate (winning 80 seats out of the 100 contested)".
Mr Sinha said the voteshare of Yadavs, Muslims, Kurmis and traditional Congress supporters comprised about 40 per cent.
The campaign leaders of BJP could not understand the under-currents prevailing against the party, he said.
"Probably it was ill-timed," he said.
To a question whether he would attend the swearing-in ceremony of Mr Kumar on November 20, the BJP leader said it all depends on the kind of invite and his availability on that day.
On the possibility of Mr Prasad's daughter Misa or either of his sons assuming the post of Deputy Chief Minister in the new Nitish Kumar government, Mr Sinha said, "I don't think it will happen."
Mr Sinha also said that Bihar voters had understood that the announcement of economic package by Mr Modi was a "poll gimmick".
"All the credit goes to Modiji for the number seats won by BJP in Bihar and there should not be any doubt about it," Mr Sinha said while taking a jibe at the PM.
"Probably Modi was kept in dark about ground realities in Bihar by the party leadership. Outsiders were at the helm of affairs for electioneering, whereas 'Bihari Babu' (referring to himself), whom people of Patna sent to Parliament by a margin of lakhs, was deliberately kept out of the campaign, which also people (voters) took seriously and defeated BJP," Mr Sinha told a select group of mediapersons in Nagpur last night.
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"There was no anti-incumbency factor against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the day the 'Grand Alliance' of Nitish Kumar-Lalu Prasad Yadav-Congress was formed, they won half the election," said Mr Sinha, who is in Nagpur for a function.
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"This particular comment ('jungle raj') hurt the sentiments of the anti-BJP people of Bihar," he said, while pointing out that Lalu staged a comeback with flying colours, with "80 per cent success rate (winning 80 seats out of the 100 contested)".
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Mr Sinha said the voteshare of Yadavs, Muslims, Kurmis and traditional Congress supporters comprised about 40 per cent.
The campaign leaders of BJP could not understand the under-currents prevailing against the party, he said.
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"Probably it was ill-timed," he said.
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To a question whether he would attend the swearing-in ceremony of Mr Kumar on November 20, the BJP leader said it all depends on the kind of invite and his availability on that day.
On the possibility of Mr Prasad's daughter Misa or either of his sons assuming the post of Deputy Chief Minister in the new Nitish Kumar government, Mr Sinha said, "I don't think it will happen."
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