Patna, Feb 28: Though the RJD is still refusing
to accept defeat in the Bihar assembly elections, the results
show that the party`s vote share has shrunk by 11.33 per cent
and the Muslim-Yadav combination, its main support base in the
last 15 years of its rule, has split.
Seeking a fourth straight term for his party, Laloo
has been outdone by his rivals in the UPA--the LJP and the
Congress- who chipped away at his Muslim-Yadav combination.
The RJD, which had secured 115 seats polling 36.34 per
cent votes in the last assembly elections in year 2000, could
manage just 75 seats with 25.01 per cent votes this time, a
loss of 11.33 per cent.
Though the NDA comprising BJP and JD(U) polled 25.5
per cent votes, its share also came down by 3.04 per cent
compared to last elections. This may be attributed to Ramvilas
Paswan, who had fought the 2000 poll while remaining in JD(U),
this time choosing to contest separately.
Paswan`s LJP succeeded in securing 28 seats with 12.4
per cent votes.
Polling 25.5 per cent votes, the NDA improved upon its
performance bagging 93 seats against 82 in the last elections
when the NDA had three constituents in the state--BJP, JD(U)
and Samata Party. The Samata Party later merged with JD(U).
Paswan, who had fought the last Lok Sabha polls in
alliance with the RJD, joined hands with the Congress, which
had entered into a half-baked alliance with Laloo`s party for
assembly elections.
Congress` pro-Muslim face coupled with Paswan`s vastly
improved image among the minorities following his resignation
from the Atal Behari Vajpayee cabinet in the wake of Gujarat
riots, succeeded in weaning away a section of the Muslims who
had hitherto staunchly backed Laloo.
For the first time in his political career Laloo
appeared unsure about the solid backing of the Muslims and
began parading a bevy of Ulemas to seek support for him.
Paswan responded with equal aggressiveness taking Muslim
religious leaders to his elections meetings.
RJD faced accusations of distributing compact discs
containing footage of Gujarat riots in which Paswan and NDA
leaders Fernandes and Nitish Kumar were severely criticised.
However, all this seems not to have helped Laloo in
keeping his Muslim votebank intact.
Many feel that the "minority syndrome" of insecurity
was no longer there as Laloo had during the last 15 years
engendered in them a sense of security by putting down
communal tensions with an iron hand whenever even a small
conflict erupted.
Another reason which contributed to RJD`s unimpressive
showing was that the UPA was thrown into a disarray with its
candidates contesting against each other in as many as 218 of
the state`s 243 constituencies, while the NDA is hailed for
fighting in complete unison.
The two-way split in Laloo`s secular votebank cost him
dear but it worked to the advantage of the NDA whose support
base by and large remained intact.
The anti-incumbency factor, besides opposition NDA`s
tirade against the Rabri Devi government for its failure to
give a fillip to development and check lawlessness also
contributed to the poor performance of RJD.
Laloo was the butt of opposition criticism for having
patronised corruption and failing to check crime, particularly
kidnapping of school children, including Kislay, a DPS student
in the state capital who was released by abductors a day
before the first phase of polling on February three, in the
run up to the elections.
Though the charges of corruption and allegations of
lack of development had hitherto failed to diminish Laloo`s
authority as he, combining personal charm with political
shrewdness, succeeded in holding together his M-Y
combination, allegations of lack of development, ate into his
popularity.
Notwithstanding the poor performance, Laloo has
refused to lie low and even announced to stake claim to form
government.
Bureau Report
