Secular votes still with RJD : Shakuni

Patna, Nov 18 (UNI) Senior RJD leader and former Bihar Minister Shakuni Chaudhary, who was defeated by NDA candidate and former Union Minister Shahnawaz Hussain in the recently held byelection for Bhagalpur Parliamentary seat, today claimed that secular votes still continued to be with RJD.

Talking to reporters here, Mr Chaudhary alleged that the RJD had the popular mass base in Bhagalpur but he was defeated due to ''massive misuse of official machinery at the instance of high-ups in state government to ensure victory of Mr Hussain''.

''Several police officers acted like polling managers of the ruling party during the polling on November 6,'' he alleged.

Citing figures of votes polled at different booths in various minority dominated localities of Bhagalpur, he said majority of these voters supported RJD during the byelection.

He dismissed the claim of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar that minorities were now supporting the NDA and said debacle of the RJD was result of division of secular votes.

''If Left Parties had supported the RJD, our victory was almost certain,'' he maintained, adding Left should not have staked claim for Bhagalpur seat considering massive support for the RJD in the area.

When asked who was responsible for division of secular votes, Mr Chaudhary evaded a direct reply and said the Left should have voluntarily offered the seat to RJD.

Referring to an observation of the Patna High Court about the condition of roads in the state, he said the Nitish government was doing nothing and only making hollow announcements.

UNI XC-RS TJP VA MIR KP1851