Bihar poll results 'ominous' for country: Haryana minister

Chandigarh: Senior Haryana minister Anil Vij Tuesday cautioned that the Bihar election outcome was 'ashubh' (ominous) for the country, claiming caste politics triumphed over India's unity, integrity and development in the eastern state.

"Bihar chunav mein jaatiwadi rajneeti jeet gayee aur ekta akhandta vikas haar gaya. Desh key liyee bahut ashubh hein! Savdhan! (In Bihar polls, caste politics won and unity, integrity and development got defeated... It's very ominous for the country. Cauntion!)," Vij, Haryana Health Minister and five-time BJP MLA from Ambala Cantt, tweeted.

The 'grand alliance' of JD(U), RJD and Congress routed the BJP-led NDA to score a landslide two-thirds majority in the Bihar Assembly giving Chief Minister Nitish Kumar a third term in office in a battle in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi staked his all.

The newly-formed JD(U)-RJD-Congress alliance secured 178 seats in the 243-member House. RJD made a resounding comeback on Bihar's political stage and emerged the leader of the pack with 80 seats while JD(U) bagged 71. Congress also made impressive gains winning 27 seats out of 41.

Vij, known for his bold tweets and outspoken nature, has even left his party, government and Chief Minister Khattar embarrassed on several occasions.

Recently, Vij had asked the Centre to declare cow as national animal and even begun an online poll on whether the bovine should replace Royal Bengal Tiger as national animal.

He has reasoned that the cow needs protection as the tiger can protect itself.

In July, the minister took the Twitter route to express his displeasure over the state government bypassing him and appointing Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra as the state's brand ambassador for 'Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao' campaign.

"I do not have any information of anybody appointed Brand Ambassador of my department for Beti Bachao programme," he had then tweeted.

In another tweet in February this year, Vij said: "Thank You Chief Minister For Taking Keen Interest into My Departments. I am Relaxed." The minister was apparently upset with Khattar showing "interest" in departments handled by him.

Vij is also the Sports and Youth Affairs Minister in the BJP government in Haryana, which was formed after the party came to power for the first time in state's nearly five-decade history wresting power from the Congress in the polls in October last year.