By-poll results: Modi wave still dominant over grand alliance of JDU-RJD-Congress

The so called "secular alliance" in Bihar that is JD(U), RJD and Congress has come out victorious in by-polls held on ten assembly seats in the state. The grand alliance has won six while their challenger and common foe BJP has bagged four seats.

Before results were out, political pundits were of the view that convergence of traditional votes of JD(U), RJD and Congress in favour of the grand alliance will help them to make a clean sweep in the State.

Winning four seats is not at all a blow for the BJP

While every mainstream media is calling it a severe blow to Narendra Modi, which has won 4 seats without any big BJP leader campaigning for its candidates, while none of its rival could manage to win more seats than the BJP. On the contrary, its rivals Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar campaigned with all their might and still managed to win just five seats together (3 RJD, 2 JD(U)). Congress has bagged just one seat.

The BJP has won - Mohania, Hajipur, Banka and Narkatiaganj while the RJD has won Mohiuddinnagar, Rajnagar and Chhapra assembly seats. Congress has won Bhagalpur and the JD(U) has won Jale and Parbatta seats.

In such a scenario, when the odds were all against the Saffron alliance, winning four seats is not at all a blow for the BJP. The JD(U)-RJD-Congress together were up in arms against the BJP to decimate the later.

BJP, backed by very small players LJP and a small breakaway group of JD(U)- Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RSLP), took on the forces who are seen as the champions of state's predominant caste politics. Both its allies, who have their own catchment area in Bihar, could not muster a single seat, but the BJP managing to win four seats is symbolic that the people in Bihar have their faith in the Opposition BJP.

BJP mustn't be complacent

As per a political expert, if we look at the vote share of different parties in the recent Lok Sabha election, it will be clear that the in most of the constituencies the RJD, JD(U) and Congress polled much more than the BJP and its allies and on the basis of this, it was believed that the BJP will hardly be able to register its presence in the by-polls. Despite the caste equations strongly working in favour of the candidates of Congress-RJD-JD(U)'s grand alliance, the BJP's victory on four seats is a big achievement in its self.

Imagine, in the next year's Assembly election, when the party will have a face for the CM's post and the entire State and Centre team will put their efforts highlighting the developmental initiatives of Prime Minister, the results will be much different from now.

Bihar BJP has able leaders like Sushil Kumar Modi and Nand Kishore Yadav under whom the State of economy of Bihar scaled new heights when the party was in alliance with the JD(U). Their clean image and commitment to people is widely appreciated.

By the end of 2015, when Bihar will be entering into Assembly poll fray, voters will have two options: pro-development and progressive BJP-led NDA versus power hungry and convicted RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav joining hands with Nitish Kumar, who suffered worst ever poll debacle in the recent Lok Sabha polls.

Hence, there is nothing for the BJP to be disheartened about with these results. Instead the party must keep its mission 2015 in mind and work harder to cement its vote bank in the state.