'Bihar election result biggest political blow to Modi'

BENGALURU: Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge today said the Bihar election result is a "big political blow" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and showed that people don't tolerate "dictatorial" kind of leadership.

"BJP campaigned without understanding the ground realities in Bihar...., so today's result is a big political blow to Modi," he told reporters here.

Kharge said, "Modi and Amit Shah have been taught a lesson by the people."

Maintaining that BJP's graph will further decline if it doesn't follow the principles of liberty and equality while governing the country, he said this result showed that people don't tolerate "dictatorial" kind of leadership.

Congratulating JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav for victory in the Bihar polls, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called the poll outcome was "a victory for secularism and social justice".

Holding that the result clearly demonstrates that there is nothing called Modi wave, he said, "People have given their mandate against those forces which had disturbed communal harmony in the country."

Meanwhile, BJP National Vice President and former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said the result was "surprising" and the reasons for the party's debacle would be analysed.

He said given what happened during Lalu's rule in Bihar, this coalition would not sustain for long, adding, "We will have to work towards strengthening the party in Bihar".