RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday accused the BJP of using muscle power to grab power in Bihar. Addressing the media in Patna, Tejashwi said that the BJP has hijacked the people's mandate and reiterated that that RJD emerged as the single-largest party with 75 seats.
Taking a jibe at Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi said that the JD(U) president expressed his inability in providing government jobs as he noted that the opposition parties succeeded in setting the tone of election. Stating that the mandate is against Nitish, he said that "if any morality is left in Nitish, he should vacate the office".
"I thank Bihar's people. The mandate favoured Mahagathbandhan, but Election Commission’s result was in NDA's favour. This hasn't happened first time. In 2015 when Mahagathbandhan was formed, votes were in our favour but BJP made back door entry to gain power," he told reporters.
Tejashwi said that the RJD will soon undertake a 'dhanyawaad yatra' (thanks giving campaign) for showing faith in the grand alliance which secured 110 seats, 12 less than the magic mark.
Raising questions over Election Commission's move to cancel several postal ballots, Tejashwu Yadav said it seems that the central election body is working on someone's directions. "The election commission cancelled 500 to 900 postal ballots. Under whose pressure this was done? The Mahagathbandhan demands re-counting of postal ballots. I want to ask Bihar CM, who has sneaked in from the back doors, that why the counting of postal ballots was delayed," the 31-year-old leader said.
The NDA led by Nitish Kumar won 125 seats, three more than the halfway mark of 122 in the 243-chair Assembly. The grand alliance won 110 seats. The RJD emerged as the single largest party with 75 seats followed by BJP's 74 seats. Nitish Kumar's JDU won 43 seats. Other NDA partners Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) and former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) won four seats each.