New Delhi: A day after the grand alliance secured a landslide victory in the high-stakes Bihar Assembly polls, BJP president Amit Shah met Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat in New Delhi today.
Sources told India TV Bhagwat expressed his unhappiness over party's poor performance in the state and said that it was projected as the two (BJP and RSS) had a difference of opinion on the issue of reservation.
Sources said that Shah, however, told Bhagwat that his remark on reservation didn't cost the party in the polls.
While briefing Bhagwat about the probable reasons behind BJP's poor show, he said that the backwards unitedly voted in favour of Nitish Kumar-led alliance.
Also Read: Bihar polls: Final tally and complete list of winning candidates
Also, Bhagwat's reservation remark didn't make any difference to the party's vote bank rather the lack of leadership in the state was a factor why people rejected it.
The party couldn't project any strong face among the backwards who can counter Nitish and Lalu on all fronts.
On the other hand, party's top leadership in the state failed to tell people what Bhagwat's remark calling for review of the reservation policy meant.
Also Read: Bihar results reflect people's anger against PM Modi: Lalu
The party's feedback, Shah said, is of the view that it is only media's assessment that Bhagwat's remark cost the BJP in Bihar.
Meanwhile, BJP MP from Madhubani Hukumdev Narayan Yadav said that Bhagwat's quota comments cost the party and cautioned the party leaders from making objectionable remark, which went against the party's poll strategy.
"RSS statement was wrongly timed and because of this statement backward class thought their rights would be taken away and some upper class leader would be the Chief Minister. They aggressively voted against us because of this statement and Lalu and Nitish capitalized on this. The backward class thought jobs will taken away, we could not defend it much. Communalism should be avoided. Polarizing electorate caused us a lot. There is no big state leader in the state and we need to strengthen our local leadership," he said.
BJP's Parliamentary Board, the party's highest decision-making body, will meet here today to introspect even as it said that the results will be analysed and corrective measures taken.
BJP sources said the BJP Parliamentary Board in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is among the members is likely to meet in the evening to assess the party's defeat in Bihar and ascertain the reasons.
