Our voters went with NDA out of fear that RJD will bring back jungle raj: Jan Suraaj
Patna, Nov 15 (PTI): Former poll strategist Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party, which failed to open its account in the Bihar assembly, on Saturday claimed that a section of its voters ended up siding with the BJP-led NDA "out of fear of return of jungle raj under the RJD".
Addressing a press conference here a day after the poll results were announced, its national president Uday Singh also claimed "polarisation" took place in the Seemanchal region in the aftermath of the blast near Red Fort in Delhi, a day before the November 11 polling was held in the area.
"I can say there was fear of the return of jungle raj under the RJD. Although I am not saying that there has been any jungle raj, the fear was there. Many people, who would have given us a chance, ended up voting for the NDA out of that fear," said Singh, the former BJP MP.
He added, "Let me make a distinction here. I am saying people had a problem with RJD, not with the Congress or other constituents of the opposition Mahagathbandhan".
Singh, a former MP from Purnea, also said another factor came into play after the Delhi blast that claimed the lives of at least 13 people.
"I was in the Seemanchal region and the incident did lead to polarisation of votes," he said.
ALSO READ: NDA retains power in Bihar, decimates Mahagathbandhan; PM Modi, Nitish hail landslide win
He also lamented, "Our Muslim brethren did not repose enough trust in us. This was despite the fact that we have been reaching out to them. But we are sure they will support us in the long run".
The party was said to have caught the imagination, especially of upper caste youth, by raising pressing issues such as unemployment, migration and the dearth of industries in the state.
However, this did not translate into enough votes, despite an energetic campaign by Kishor and his team, and the party's vote share, according to Singh, stood at a paltry "four per cent".
The Jan Suraaj leader also said, "We are disappointed with the outcome of the assembly polls, but not upset. Though we have not won even a single seat, we will keep opposing the ruling NDA."
He claimed that "since June, till polls were announced, Rs 40,000 crore were splurged" by the Nitish Kumar government to "purchase" votes of the people through public money".
"The scale was unprecedented. Even money raised through a World Bank loan of Rs 14,000 crore has been diverted for doles and freebies," alleged Singh, who, incidentally, is the younger brother of former Finance Commission chairman N K Singh.
Referring to Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana, under which Rs 10,000 each was transferred to the bank accounts of women in the state, he said, "It must have been for the first time that people kept getting the money till a day before voting took place, despite the model code of conduct. This was enough to sway women who may have been hand-to-mouth."
ALSO READ: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi thanks Bihar voters, urges non-NDA parties to address shortcomings
Singh said the Jan Suraaj is now waiting to see "how the government will transfer the remaining Rs 2 lakh that it has promised to the accounts of women in the state".
He also claimed that the space for opposition remained there in Bihar, despite the landslide victory of the NDA, which has "polled less than 50 per cent of total votes".
Responding to a query on whether Prashant Kishor would remain active in politics as the JD(U) won more than 25 seats, Singh said, "You should ask this question to Kishor only".
Kishor had previously claimed that he would quit politics if Nitish Kumar's JD(U) won more than 25 seats. The party bagged 85 seats in the assembly polls.
Singh, however, added, "We still believe that the NDA, including the JD(U), would have been decimated had public money not been splurged to buy out votes. Please remember that it was not until the Jan Suraaj Party promised Rs 2,000 old age pension that the government raised the amount from Rs 700 to Rs 1,100 per month".
ALSO READ: We couldn't win an election that was not fair from beginning: Rahul on Bihar poll results
He also made light of the "vote theft" charge by the INDIA bloc, most notably the Congress, saying, "We believe names deleted during SIR were mostly of those who were dead or had migrated to other places. Even if there were a few anomalies, these could not have been on a scale large enough to make much of a difference".
The ruling NDA decimated the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar on Friday to retain power, reaffirming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's enduring appeal and dealing a body blow to the Congress and ally RJD.
The massive scale of the victory of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) can be gauged from the fact that its two main constituents -- the BJP and the JD(U) -- clocked a nearly 85 per cent strike rate in 101 seats each they had contested.
The alliance secured a "200 paar" win for a three-fourths majority in the 243-member Bihar assembly with the BJP emerging as the single largest party.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Elephant calf brought from Bijnor kept under care at Pilibhit Tiger Reserve
Pilibhit (PTI): A 19-day-old elephant calf, brought from Bijnor, was placed under care at the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) on Sunday, an official said and added that the calf got separated from its mother in the forest area of Bijnor.
The calf was born on December 2 in the Bijnor forest area and got separated from its mother shortly after birth, the official said.
The forest department made several attempts to reunite it with its mother, but without any success. To ensure the calf's safety and better care, it was decided to transfer it to the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve on the instructions of senior officials.
On Saturday, Deputy Director Manish Singh received the calf. Special arrangements have been made in the reserve for its care. It has been kept in a safe and clean environment to provide it with a natural setting and protect it from external noise and disturbances.
Singh told reporters that raising an 19-day-old calf is challenging.
It requires a special diet as a substitute for mother's milk and constant monitoring.
He said a special team has been formed to provide 24-hour care. Since the calf is very young, it is being cared for like a newborn baby.
According to Singh, the primary responsibility for monitoring the calf's health has been entrusted to PTR's veterinarian, Dr Daksh Gangwar. Under his supervision, a complete record of the calf's health checkups, diet, and body temperature is being maintained. The team is ensuring that the calf does not contract any infection.
