Patna:
By-poll results are out in various parts of the country and there have been several surprising setbacks.
In Bihar, results for 16 of the 18 Assembly seats are out and the ruling coalition of JD(U) and BJP has managed to win only five seats while the RJD-LJP combine has won eight seats. The Congress has won two seats and the BSP one.
The sweet sound of victory for the Lalu-Paswan combine in Bihar. Not many thought they had much of a chance in the 18 Assembly seats where by-polling was held last week.
But as the results started coming in, the RJD-LJP combine won a majority of the seats - a major setback for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
No one expected these crackers and so many people at Lalu Yadav's residence just months after a rout in the Lok Sabha polls; just 500 metres away from here is Nitish Kumar's residence, and there is just a defeaning silence at his place.
"Everyone was saying Lalu is going, Lalu did not, and will never go anywhere," said Lalu Yadav, RJD chief.
Lalu's alliance partner LJP chief Ramvilas Paswan said: "This is just a semifinal. We are going to perform better in the finals next year, the Assembly elections.
An unexpected win given that both parties had done rather badly in the general elections months ago.
Over the last few months, there was a virtual wave in favour of Nitish Kumar and his party the JD(U).
This defeat is no doubt a jolt for the Chief Minister, who has been the sole face of his party for some time now. But what will perhaps worry him more is the fact that Assembly election in Bihar is just about a year away.
In Bihar, results for 16 of the 18 Assembly seats are out and the ruling coalition of JD(U) and BJP has managed to win only five seats while the RJD-LJP combine has won eight seats. The Congress has won two seats and the BSP one.
The sweet sound of victory for the Lalu-Paswan combine in Bihar. Not many thought they had much of a chance in the 18 Assembly seats where by-polling was held last week.
But as the results started coming in, the RJD-LJP combine won a majority of the seats - a major setback for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
No one expected these crackers and so many people at Lalu Yadav's residence just months after a rout in the Lok Sabha polls; just 500 metres away from here is Nitish Kumar's residence, and there is just a defeaning silence at his place.
"Everyone was saying Lalu is going, Lalu did not, and will never go anywhere," said Lalu Yadav, RJD chief.
Lalu's alliance partner LJP chief Ramvilas Paswan said: "This is just a semifinal. We are going to perform better in the finals next year, the Assembly elections.
An unexpected win given that both parties had done rather badly in the general elections months ago.
Over the last few months, there was a virtual wave in favour of Nitish Kumar and his party the JD(U).
This defeat is no doubt a jolt for the Chief Minister, who has been the sole face of his party for some time now. But what will perhaps worry him more is the fact that Assembly election in Bihar is just about a year away.
