Bihar Assembly Election 2020: Five JD(U) ministers lose assembly elections
Bihar Assembly Election 2020: For, with the BJP winning 58 seats and leading in 15, and the JD(U) 33 and 10, respectively, the traditional roles have changed and the latter has now become the junior partner.
On Tuesday, even as the NDA inched closer to magic figure of 122 to retain power, it was clear that this would be the only constant in the relationship.
For, with the BJP winning 58 seats and leading in 15, and the JD(U) 33 and 10, respectively, the traditional roles have changed and the latter has now become the junior partner.
This was expected, and the BJP, ahead of the polls, said that Nitish Kumar would be the chief minister, even if the JD(U) won fewer seats than it. On Tuesday, the party repeated this.
“There is no question of going back on our promise. An announcement to this effect was made by our former national president Amit Shah. We stand by our commitment,” said BJP state president Dr Sanjay Jaiswal.
The JD (U) has a strength of 71 MLAs in the outgoing assembly. It has seen as many as five ministers lose, as the LJP played spoiler. Still, experts believe the loss of the JD (U)will have far-reaching consequences.
“It will be reduced to smaller party after carrying the tag of big brother over a period of time,” said former director of A N Sinha Institute of Social Studies, D M Diwakar.
“The alliance may be affected. And there is a possibility that Nitish Kumar might get a role in centre,” he added, putting forth a theory that has been doing the rounds in some corners of Patna in recent days.
A senior JD (U) functionary added: “The party lost due to 15-years of anti-incumbency. Tejashwi (Yadav of the RJD) was taken light-heartedly and even our senior leaders mocked him. Some loose comments were made.”
Kumar and the JD (U) have been criticised for their handling of the migrant issue, especially by the LJP. Still, it is creditable that the party and Kumar have returned, said another analyst.
“The last time in 2015, the JD (U) was with a different alliance and its vote bank was different. I think the party has done reasonably well though its seat share may have come down given the fact that chief minister Nitish Kumar, who is seeking re-lection for the fourth successive term, faces anti-incumbency. People’s ire is directed against him because some of his policies may not have gone down well,” said Prof Arvind Aditya Raj of the political science department of the College of Commerce, Arts and Science in Patna.
