Patna,(BiharTimes): Though most BJP leaders squarely blamed the Janata Dal (United) for the defeat of its candidate, Prashant Kumar Shahi, in the Maharajganj by-poll it is the Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Minister, Giriraj Singh, who was more vocal in his criticism.

Reacting to the chief minister Nitish Kumar’s statement that Maharajganj was already the RJD’s seat Giriraj Singh said that his party totally disagree with this view and said that this is just a way to console oneself.

The BJP leaders said that they agree that it was RJD’s seat but the party won by just about 2,800 votes last time against 1,37,000 this time. Besides, there is 20 per cent difference between the votes polled by the RJD and JD(U) candidate.

The relationship between JD(U) and the BJP has further deteriorated with Shahi blaming the Hindutva party cadres for not supporting him.

Now details coming out from Maharajganj suggest that the JD(U) trailed in all the six Assembly segments of Maharajganj––even in those where there is substantial Bhumihar votes and where the party was hoping to do better.

The BJP leaders directly blamed Nitish Kumar for the present situation as they said he had unnecessarily started attacking Narendra Modi.

They alleged that Nitish did not invite any senior BJP leaders to the campaign nor did he reach out to any state level leaders. Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi and state party chief, Mangal Pandey, went on their own.

The reported move by Nitish Kumar to put up Jitendra Swamy backfired as he ended up getting less than half the number of votes which the Congress candidate of 2009 Lok Sabha poll got. He lost the deposit. This move further alienated the BJP from JD(U),

Whatever may Nitish Kumar argue, the truth is that demoralisation has started gripping the Janata Dal (United) rank and file. What is of concern for them is that RJD managed to get so much votes notwithstanding the fact that the Congress virtually backed the JD(U) and not RJD.