Back to back failures: Did master strategist Amit shah fail to gauge Bihar voters' mood?

New Delhi, Nov 8: It is almost clear now that Lalu and Nitish led 'grand alliance' will get majority in Bihar assembly polls. Nitish led grand alliance is about to touch the magic mark required to form government in 243 seat Bihar assembly. BJP will most likely get around 70-75 seats whereas Nitish-Lalu alliance to get 155-160 seats.

Almost all exit surveys except Chanakya and NDTV Hansa had predicted that there will be a close fight between grand alliance and BJP-led NDA in the election. But the way Modi-led NDA has been decimated, that raises lots of questions.

BJP has been defeated even if Prime Minister did record number of rallies in the state. Not only that, this will be second consecutive defeat for BJP's president and master strategist Amit Shah.

BJP had started the winning streak from massive win first in Lok Sabha election 2014 and then in subsequent state elections like Haryana, Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir.

But Modi juggernaut came to standstill first in Delhi where Arvind Kejriwal led Aam Aadmi Party defeated Saffron party.

Amit Shah failed?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was no doubt the BJP's face in the Bihar battle, but its micro management lay with BJP president Amit Shah and the IT cell in the Prime Minister's Office, with dedicated party activists promised rewards ranging from cows to money.

After Modi's election guru for the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Prashant Kishor, joined the opposition's camp, the PMO's IT cell became part of the strategy making in the BJP's war room in Patna.

The war room was managed by BJP veterans Anant Kumar, Dharmendra Pradhan, Bhupendra Yadav and Anil Jain, who reported to Shah, who in turn was in regular touch with Modi.

Amit Shah did all possible things to make things in favour of the BJP in Bihar poll. But it seems noting worked in favour of the BJP.

Off course Amit Shah and other party leaders' effort to communalise poll took toll on the BJP. Shah's remark that if BJP will be defeated then there will be Diwali celebration in Pakistan didn't augur well to voters.

It looks like Master strategist Amit Shah's did not able to gauge the mood of Bihari voters. Moving from development plank to controversial issues like reservation and personal attacks cost BJP hard.

OneIndia News

With inputs from agency)