A day after the Bihar elections results, the Shiv Sena said on Monday the outcome "could change the course of national politics in the days ahead".Openly "celebrating" its ally Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) rout, the Sena said Bihar represents national politics and all the forecasts by many "chanakyas" were proved wrong after Sunday's vote-count when the results came on "expected lines".The Sena said undoubtedly "the Bihar outcome would impact national politics and also create an upheaval within the BJP", with deep introspection as its downfall comes just one-and-a-half years after the Lok Sabha victory."We must remember that Jayaprakash Narain, the man who ensured the downfall of Indira Gandhi, hailed from Bihar... Those who took Bihar elections for granted, better take the outcome seriously," the Sena warned in a stinging edit in the party mouthpiece, Saamana, on Monday.
Commending the Nitish Kumar-Lalu Prasad Yadav duo for their stupendous victory, the Saamana took a jibe at BJP, saying after the premature celebrations in New Delhi and Patna BJP offices, their activists soon beat a hasty retreat and disappeared."It was always a straight fight between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar... Despite employing money power and official machinery, the declaration of a huge Rs.1.50 lakh crore package, the people rejected BJP and Nitish-Lalu partnership came up trumps," the edit said.The BJP, which held 91 seats in the outgoing house, was reduced to less than 60 with its allies, but Lalu Prasad Yadav, accused by BJP of bringing "jungle-raj and corruption" bagged the largest number of seats.Similarly, the Congress - whose Vice-President Rahul Gandhi who was labeled as a 'pappu' (simpleton) - bagged 27 seats and the party will now join the government.
The Sena said Bihar elections were reminiscent of the October 2014 Maharashtra assembly elections in which the BJP entire top brass starting with Modi, party president Amit Shah, all union ministers, party chief ministers, legislators and parliamentarians and others swooped on Maharashtra, but despite all efforts the Sena secured 63 seats."You can win one election with money and government power, you can fool the people once... Modi's trusted man and architect of the BJP Lok Sabha victory Amit Shah had to bite the dust in the Bihar elections," the Sena said.All this was possible because Nitish Kumar "did not make tall or false claims", he carried the people with him, he did not show off money power or misuse government machinery and poor people of Bihar voted for his honest face.On its part, the Shiv Sena, which contested the Bihar elections independently secured more votes than Nationalist Congress Party and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, "which is a victory of sorts for us"."The future belongs to Shiv Sena... If elections are held in Maharashtra tomorrow, we shall win hands down," the Sena declared, throwing the gauntlet at ally BJP.