JDU to review party's below-par performance

New Delhi: JDU is likely to hold a meeting of its leaders to review the party’s performance in the recently concluded Bihar assembly polls. JDU could bag only 43 seats, though partly leader Nitish Kumar has formed the government with support from larger partner BJP. Most JDU leaders underlined the need to revamp the party organisation - right from the booth to the state levels - under the new circumstances.

According to them, the party faced three major odds that led to the 'unsatisfactory' election results - failure to translate female support base into votes in certain areas, inability to produce data on the village-level development initiatives made during Nitish Kumar’s regimes and visible cracks in the Mahadalit-most-backward classwoman vote bank which was considered to be its strength in many pockets. “I am waiting for the party leadership to review the functioning of the party organisation at the ground level after the poll results. I faced many difficulties to approach woman voters, particularly Angadwadi Sahayika/ Sevika, Jeevika Didi and Mamata/Asha workers. Besides, there are workers associated with the Mukhyamantri Akshar Aanchal Yojana,” said a JDU candidate, who faced defeat in a constituency in the Old Shahabad region.

Another candidate, who also lost the election, said the party organisation should be revived to face the new challenges at the ground level. JDU spokesperson KC Tyagi said the party’s vote share was about 16% and it remained intact. “We will soon call a meeting of the party workers to review the functioning of the party organisation,” Tyagi said.