Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal's Tejashwi Yadav has said the results of the coming Lok Sabha election in Bihar will be "startling" -- an outcome he predicts on basis of a major "loss of credibility" of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the "flop" of the Ram temple pitch of the BJP.
The election, he said, will be based on issues that affect the common man and not any gimmick or artificially induced matter. The people care more about basics like employment generation and increase in income, he said.
"The Ram temple has flopped," Mr Yadav told NDTV in an exclusive interview. "The issues they (the BJP) wanted to highlight, the kind of mood they wanted to build, that has flopped. The idea has flopped," he added.
This, he said is because while the people "venerate Lord Ram, while we rely on him, they expect the government to end unemployment, end poverty, get permanent houses for everyone, double the income of farmers, open factories, bring in investment".
The BJP's alliance partner, Nitish Kumar, is not high in people's favour either, Mr Yadav claimed. The Chief Minister, who has mostly been helming the government since 2005, has lost the people's trust. At the same time, the RJD has gained, he said.
"Nitish ji-s credibility is very low. You saw in in 2020. If you look at voteshares, we are equal. We think we have gained a lot in the 17 months that we worked," he added.
Asked about Nitish Kumar's comment that he has "driven away" his former deputy, Mr Yadav scoffed.
Nitish Kumar, "himself left" the alliance, said Mr Yadav. "How can he drive anyone away? Two months ago, he used to say 'Modi-ji ko bhaga diya (we drove away Modi-ji)'. There's no question (that he would drive away anyone). The people would not forgive him. He has no credibility left," Mr Yadav added.
Asked what was he expecting in this general election, he said, "the results will be startling".