Votes would be cast on development plank-Nitish

Patna, Jan 2 (UNI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said the bypoll results of Bikramganj Lok Sabha constituency indicated the strength of development over casteism.

Mr Kumar told newspersons here the election results were a ''chetavni'' to RJD chief and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, who was living in a ''fools paradise'', having a ''misconception'' of enjoying mass support.

Mr Kumar thanked the people for showing support to the developmental works taken up by the NDA government specially in the Bikramganj Lok Sabha bypoll, saying that the victory of the JD(U) candidate was an open testimony to the popularity of the NDA government in the state.

''Even after hectic campaign and road shows by Mr Prasad, the voters had chosen the JD(U) candidate,'' he added.

Meanwhile, RJD Chief spokesperson and former minister Shakeel Ahmad Khan accepted party's defeat in the by-election saying the party would take lesson in future from the defeat.

He, however, alleged that the RJD voters were prevented from reaching the polling booths during the elections.

Reacting to the bypoll results, NCP General Secretary and spokesperson Mritunjay Kumar said the RJD candidate was defeated because of the internal bickerings within the UPA and suggested the RJD Supremo to self introspect to find out the reasons for the defeat.

Similar suggestions had been made by the LJP spokesperson and MLC Sanjay Singh.

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