Bihar parties bite dust in Assam, Bengal polls

PATNA The ruling JD(U) and other regional parties in Bihar have fared poorly in the recent assembly polls in Assam and West Bengal where they had fielded their candidates in a number of seats to expand their base

PATNA

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The ruling JD(U) and other regional parties in Bihar have fared poorly in the recent assembly polls in Assam and West Bengal where they had fielded their candidates in a number of seats to expand their base.

As per data available with the Election Commission of India (ECI), JD(U) managed a mere 0.11% of total votes polled in Assam, where all its 34 candidates lost their deposit. Sources said majority of candidates got around 600- 800 votes. In 2016 assembly polls in Assam, JD(U) had contested four seats and got 0.07% votes.

In Bengal, JD(U) got 0.02 % votes of the total votes polled and majority of its 16 candidates lost deposits, sources said.

The RJD, which contested one seat in Assam as part of the Congress-led alliance, got only 0.07% of total votes polled. In West Bengal, the party had not fielded any candidate and had extended support to the Trinamool Congress.

The Lok Janshakti party ( LJP), which contested 10 seats in West Bengal and around a dozen seats in Assam, got 0.01% and 0.04% of the total votes polled in the two states, respectively.

Sanjay Verma, JD(U) leader in-charge of Assam polls, said the party did not perform as per expectations in Assam that saw a straight contest between BJP and Congress-AIUDF alliance and in West Bengal because of straight fight between BJP and Trinamool.

RJD’s Abdul Bari Siddiqui, a former minister, said his party could have done better in Assam had it got more seats in alliance with Congress.

Headline: Dismal performance

JD(U)’s all 34 candidates in Assam and 16 in Bengal lost their deposits

Assam

Party: Votes (%)

JD(U): 0.11%

RJD: 0.07%

LJP: 0.04%

CPI-ML(Liberation): 0.14%

Bengal

JD(U): 0.01%

LJP: 0.04%

CPI-ML(Liberation): 0.03%