इसिसचा नि:पात केल्याने इस्लामी दहशतवाद संपणार नाही

गेल्या शुक्रवारी रात्री पॅरीसवर झालेल्या फिदायीन हल्ल्यामागे इस्लामिक स्टेट आॅफ इराक अँड सिरिया अर्थात इसिस ही संघटना असल्याचे स्पष्ट झाले आहे. स्वत: इसिसने या हल्ल्याची जबाबदारी स्वीकारली आहे. तसेच युरोपी गुप्तचर संघटनांना मिळालेल्या धाग्यादोºयांतूनही इसिसचेच नाव समोर येत आहे. या हल्ल्यात केवळ ८ अतिरेकी सहभागी झाले होते. त्यांच्या हल्ल्यात १५0 पेक्षाही जास्त निष्पाप नागरिक सहभागी झाले आहेत. जास्तीत जास्त मनुष्यहानी घडविण्याचनया उद्देशाने अत्यंत शिस्तबद्ध पद्धतीने हा हल्ला करण्यात आल्याचे स्पष्ट आहे. या संघटनेने इराकमधील कुर्दिश नागरिकांची कत्तल चालविली आहे. तसेच सिरियात प्रचंड धुमाकूळ घातला आहे. या संघटनेच्या भीतीने लाखो सिरियाई नागरिक युरोपात पळून गेले आहेत. गेल्या अनेक महिन्यांपासून हे पलायन सुरू आहे. रशियाने या आधीच सिरियात इसिसच्या अड्ड्यांवर हवाई हल्ले सुरू केले आहेत. यातील गंमत म्हणजे रशियाच्या हल्ल्यांना युरोपीय देशांकडून विरोध करण्यात येत होता. पॅरीसवरील जेहादी हल्ल्यानंतर आता परिस्थिती बदलली आहे. इसिसचा नि:पात करण्याची भाषा आता युरोपीय देशातून होत आहे. येत्या काही दिवसांत कदाचित युरोपीय देशही सिरियात इसिसविरोधात कारवाई करील. अमेरिकाही या लढाईत उतरू शकेल. इसिसचा नि:पात करण्यात पाश्चात्य देशांना कदाचित यशही येईल. पण, कळीचा मुद्दा हा आहे की, इस्लामी दहशतवाद संपेल का? जेहादी कारवायांना कायमचा पायबंद बसेल का? या प्रश्नांची उत्तरे दुर्दैवाने नाही, असेच आहे.

१९८९ साली भारतातील काश्मिरात इस्लामी दहशतवादाचा उगम झाला. हजारो लोक ठार झाले. काश्मिरी पंडीत ही एक संपूर्ण जमात काश्मिरातून बाहेर फेकली गेली. पाकिस्तान सरकारने दहशतवादाला सरकारी धोरणाचा अधिकृत भाग बनविले होते. भारताने हा मुद्दा वारंवार जागतिक पातळीवर नेण्याचा प्रयत्न केला. संयुक्त राष्टÑात हा मुद्दा उपस्थित केला. तथापि, युरोप-अमेरिकेने याकडे लक्ष दिले नाही. ११ सप्टेंबर २00१ रोजी अमेरिकेतील वर्ल्ड ट्रेड सेंटरवर अल-कैदाच्या अतिरेक्यांनी विमाने धडकावून आत्मघाती हल्ला केला, तेव्हा पाश्चात्यांना इस्लामी दहशतवादाची भीषणता कळाली. या हल्ल्यात ३ हजार पेक्षाही जास्त लोक ठार झाले होते. या हल्ल्यामागे अल कैदा ही अतिरेकी संघटना जबाबदार असून तिचा म्होरक्या ओसामा बिन लादेनला अफगाणिस्तानातील तालिबानी राजवटीने आश्रय दिल्याचे समोर आले. अमेरिकेचे तत्कालिन अध्यक्ष जॉर्ज डब्ल्यू बुश द्वितीय यांनी नाटो फौजांना सोबत घेऊन अफगाणिस्तानात हल्ला चढविला. संपूर्ण अफगाणिस्तान बेचिराख झाल्यानंतरही लादेन सापडला नाही. हे युद्ध संपल्यानंतर अनेक वर्षांनी तो पाकिस्तानात लपल्याचे आढळून आले. तोपर्यंत बुश यांचा कार्यकाळ संपून गेला होता. बराक ओबामा अमेरिके अध्यक्ष बनले होते. ओबामा यांनी पाकिस्तानातील अबोटाबाद येथे कमांडो कारवाई करून लादेनचा नि:पात केला. लादेन ठार झाला की, दहशतवाद संपेल, असे अमेरिकादी देशांना वाटले होते. तथापि, असे काही घडले नाही. तो पुढे चालूच राहिला. सिरियात इसिसच्या रुपाने तो फोफावला. सिरियात लाखो लोक मारले जात असताना, पाश्चात्य देश गप्प बसले. इतकेच काय, रशियाने सिरियात कारवाई सुरू केल्यानंतर पाश्चात्य देशांनी रशियाला विरोध केला होता. पाश्चात्य देशांची दहशतवादाची व्याख्या पूर्णत: सोयीची आहे.

भारताचे एक विमान अतिरेक्यांनी अपहरण करून अफगाणिस्तानात पळवून नेले होते. विमानातील प्रवाशांच्या बदल्यात भारत सरकारला ४ खतरनाक अतिरेकी सोडावे लागले होते. हे चारही अतिरेकी पाकिस्तानचे होते. भारताचे तत्कालीन संरक्षण मंत्री जसवंत सिंग यांनी हे अतिरेकी विशेष विमानाने अफगाणिस्तानातील कंदाहार येथे नेऊन सोडले होते. नंतर ते पाकिस्तानात गेले. याचाच अर्थ पाकिस्तान हेच इस्लामी दहशतवादाचे प्रमुख केंद्र आहे, हे यावरून स्पष्ट होते. तथापि, भारताला शह देण्यासाठी अमेरिकेने पाकिस्तानला आपल्या बगलेत ठेवले आहे. सध्या पाकिस्तानची संपूर्ण अर्थव्यवस्था अमेरिकेच्या आर्थिक मदतीवरच चालते. अशा प्रकारे अमेरिका दहशतवादाचा पुरस्कार करणाºया एका देशालाच पोषित आहे. हेच कारण आहे की, अफगाणिस्तानातील अनेक वर्षांच्या युद्धानंतरही इस्लामी दहशतवाद संपला नाही. सिरियातील इसिसचा नि:पात केल्यानंतरही तो संपेल याची खात्री देता येणार नाही.

येथे आणखी एक गोष्ट लक्षात घेतली पाहिजे की, इस्लाम धर्माची बांधणी दहशतवादाला पोषक आहे. इस्लामने जगाची विभागणी इस्लामी जग आणि बिगर इस्लामी जग अशी केली आहे. तसेच बिगर इस्लामी जगाला इस्लामी जगात रुपांतरीत करण्याची जबाबदारी इस्लामी जगावर सोपविली आहे. त्यासाठी जेहाद हा मार्ग सांगितला आहे. ही संकल्पता दहशतवादाला पोषक आहे. या मुद्यावर पुढील लेखात सविस्तर विवेचन आम्ही करू.

Working With Prashant Kishor

Pratik Jain

For many experienced and qualified professionals who have a keen interest in politics but have to work in a corporate or other non-political set up, getting an opportunity to play a significant role in one of the most critical elections in India doesn't come easy. When the opportunity arrives, some manage to cast this interest aside, others take the plunge. We at Indian Political Action Committee or IPAC chose to do the latter.

It feels just like yesterday when my colleagues Rishi, Vinesh and I under the guidance of our mentor Prashant took up the mantle and perhaps one of the most exciting challenges of our lives - Bihar elections 2015. We landed in Patna in March 2015 - the team of three then has now grown to a team of 800+ spreading across districts, constituencies and villages. Indeed, the experience was overwhelming.

IPAC was set up with the motto to support deserving and good leaders for political offices. And a decision to work with the Sushasan Babu, Mr Nitish Kumar, for his election victory was indeed a reflection of that motto. Our overall strategy in Bihar was to set up a methodical, professional campaign driven by the notion of reasoning and not mere gut instincts. From the very beginning, our detailed focused group discussions with party representatives, designing of the campaign song, strategising campaign posters and more was driven by this very logic.

The campaign's central war room was set up in Patna with over 150 core team members divided into verticals such as field operations that included Swabhiman Raths, Cycle campaign (Har Ghar Nitishe, Har Man Nitishe), DNA Campaign, Outdoor and Media, Data and Telephony, Digital Promotions and Research & Communications. The team members worked on their key tasks, but the structure was fluid enough to ensure that everyone has an understanding of the overall campaign narrative and can learn and contribute across verticals at the same time.

The campaign started with the launch of our campaign slogan "Aage Badhta Rahe Bihar, Phir Ek Baar Nitish Kumar". Next came our campaign song and creative "Bihar Mein Bahar Ho, Nitish Kumar Ho" - the colors of the posters were chosen in order to ensure they stood out, hit the eye and reached the masses. Consecutively, a door-to-door campaign was launched by Mr Nitish Kumar himself called "Har Ghar Dastak" - the essence being "Ek Karyakarta Das Dastak, Ek Sandesh Har Ghar Tak''. The campaign didn't just involve karyakartas but also enthused them to take Nitishji's message of governance with justice to every household. And then came our biggest hit, also the most attacking slogan of the campaign: "Jhanse Mein Na Aayenge, Nitish Ko Jitayenge."

Positive and attack campaigns were launched at various stages, all with an over-reaching narrative that none but Nitish Kumar for Bihar. Another narrative that was established at the very early stages of the campaign was ''Swabhiman'' - the assertion of Bihari self-respect in the light of the PM's comments attacking Nitish Kumar's DNA, calling Bihar BIMARU and its people ''Durbhagyashali''. What worked was also the synergy between the on-ground and online aspect of campaign execution. All this coupled with a clear communication of CM Nitish Kumar's vision for Bihar in the form of his 7 Nishchays or promises ensured that voters had all the ingredients necessary to take that final decision.

The execution of these campaigns on the ground was a huge task. About 800+ volunteers were activated across the state to carry out these campaigns and take our message to every door step. Members from the central core team were present in each assembly constituency to oversee the execution of the campaign, liaison with candidates, and build local level strategies if and when needed.

On polling day, constituency level war rooms were set up to connect with booth level agents and raise issues, if any, with election authorities.

The digital campaign also played a key component in multiplying the effect of our messages across online users - Facebook, WhatsApp and IVRS being the key tools where campaigns were customised to fit the demands of the technology and logic of each medium. Twitter was extensively used for Nitish Kumar's communication on a real-time basis, plus the #AskNitish campaign on Twitter and Facebook Q&A ensured the Chief Minister's connect with specific audiences and voters at large. Simultaneously, the success of each campaign was carefully measured on a daily basis with rigorous on-ground surveys and feedback systems.

Looking back, the last seven months have been the most demanding yet enriching experience for team IPAC. It is humbling to know that we worked on THE election campaign that perhaps holds the potential to change the political discourse of the country in years to come. And yes, we have got the break and rest that we needed, although withdrawal symptoms post elections have already begun to set in.

(Pratik Jain is a Director at Indian Political Action Committee (IPAC). He was also a Founding member at Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG), and previously worked as an analyst at Deloitte India. He did his B.Tech from IIT Bombay.)

Courtesy : NDTV

इमाम बुखारीच्या मुलाचा लव्ह जिहाद

धर्मांधांकडून हिंदू मुलींना लक्ष्य केले जात असताना भाजपाचे सरकार काय करीत आहे?

२0१४ ची लोकसभा निवडणूक झाली, त्या आधी हिंदुत्ववादी संघटनांनी देशात लव्ह जिहादचा मुद्दा चांगलाच तापवला होता. हिंदुंच्या मुली मुसलमान तरुण कशा पळवित आहेत, याची संताप आणणारी वर्णने सोशल मीडियावर प्रसृत केली जात होती. भाजपाची सत्ता आल्यास हे सर्व प्रकार बंद केले जातील, अशीही हवा तयार करण्यात आली होती. तथापि, या सगळ्या बेंडकुळ्या फुकाच्या असल्याचे स्पष्ट झाले आहे. हिंदुत्त्ववाद्यांचे मकुटमनी म्हणून मिरवणारे देशाचे पंतप्रधान नरेंद्र मोदी यांचे निवासस्थान असलेल्या दिल्लीत लव्ह जिहादचे प्रचंड मोठे प्रकरण समोर आले आहे. हिंदुत्त्वादाचा डांगोरा पिटणाºया संघटना मात्र चिडीचूप आहेत.

दिल्लीतील जामा मशिदीचा शाही इमाम सय्यद अहमद बुखारी याचा मुलगा शबन याने एका हिंदू मुलीशी विवाह केला आहे. शबन हा अवघा २0 वर्षांचा आहे. तर त्याची पत्नी बनलेली ही हिंदू मुलगी उत्तर प्रदेशातील गाझियाबादमधील असल्याचे वृत्त दैनिक जागरणने दिले आहे. इमाम बुखारीचा मुलगा शबन हा अ‍ॅमिटी विद्यापीठाचा पदवीधर आहे. त्याचे या हिंदू मुलीशी प्रेमसंबंध होते. तथापि, इमाम बुखारीचा त्यांच्या लग्नाला विरोध होता. मुलगी हिंदू असल्याच्या कारणाने बुखारी लग्नाच्या विरोधात होता, असेही सांगितले जात आहे. तथापि, मुलीने इस्लाम धर्म स्वीकारल्याने बुखारीने लग्नास मान्यता दिली. इस्लाम धर्म स्वीकारण्यासाठी मुलीवर दबाव टाकण्यात आल्याचेही वृत्त आहे. इमामाने मात्र या वृत्ताचा अपेक्षेप्रमाणे इन्कार केला आहे. मुलीने राजीखुशीने इस्लामचा स्वीकार केला आहे. आपल्याला बदनाम करण्यासाठी जबरदस्ती धर्मांतराचे आरोप होत आहे, असे इमामाने म्हटले आहे.

रविवार दि. ८ नोव्हेंबर २0१५ रोजी दिल्लीतील जामा मशिदीतीच दोघांचा विवाह पार पडला. या लग्नाचा स्वागत समारंभ (रिसेप्शन) १४ नोव्हेंबर रोजी दिल्लीतच होत आहे. पंतप्रधान नरेंद्र मोदी आणि केंद्रीय गृहमंत्री राजनाथ सिंग यांना या सोहळ्याचे निमंत्रण देण्यात आले आहे. धर्मांधांची हिंमत किती वाढली आहे, हेच यावरून दिसते. हा विवाह लव्ह जिहादचाच प्रकार आहे. त्याला मोदी-राजनाथ यांची मान्यता आहे का, हे स्पष्ट व्हायला हवे.

या आधी शबन याचा दस्तारबंदी सोहळा जामा झाला तेव्हा इमामाने मोदी यांना निमंत्रण दिले नव्हते. त्याऐवजी पाकिस्तानचे पंतप्रधान नवाज शरिफ यांना निमंत्रित करण्यात आले होते. २0१४ च्या लोकसभा निवडणुकीच्या प्रचारात मोदी यांनी ‘मिया मुशर्रफ’चा घोषा लावून वातावरण तापविले होते. पंतप्रधानपदी बसताच मिया मुशर्रफचे नारे हवेत विरले. मोदींच्या नाकावर टिच्चून नवाज शरिफ दिल्लीत आले. आणि शबनची दस्तारबंदी करून गेले. आताही मोदींच्या नाकावर टिच्चून एका हिंदू मुलीशी शबनचा निकाह लागला आहे. लव्ह जिहादचे नारे लावणारे आता कुठल्या गुहेत दडून बसले आहेत? या देशातील हिंदूंच्या मुलींच्या सुरक्षेची जबाबदारी भाजपाच्या नेतृत्वाखालील सरकार घेणार आहे की नाही?

party position in Bihar Assembly elections

Following is the final party position in Bihar Assembly elections :
   
Total seats: 243

Results Available: 243

Grand Alliance : 178

RJD : 80

JD(U) : 71

Congress : 27

NDA : 58

BJP : 53

LJP : 2

RLSP : 2

HAM : 1

Others:

CPI(ML-L) : 3

Independent : 4

Why BJP Bite Dust In Bihar

New Delhi, Nov 8 (PTI) The bid to pitchfork Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its main face, non-projection of a local personality and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's comments on reservation appeared to have backfired for the BJP that put up a disastrous show in the Bihar assembly elections.
Issues like beef in the wake of Dadri lynching and party chief Amit Shah's controversial remarks that firecrackers will go off in Pakistan if the grand alliance won also failed to yield benefits for the party that campaigned against the "return of jungle raj".
The defeat for the NDA, a second setback for Modi in less than ten months after rout in Delhi, was total as it lost badly across the state, even in the Tirhut region where Shah had predicted a sweep for the alliance.
Only a majority of upper castes, sections of extremely backward castes and a chunk of Dalits seemed to have given their support to the BJP and its three allies with the grand alliance walking away with a lion's share of backward castes and overwhelming majority of Muslims.
If the BJP lost two-thirds of about 157 seats it contested, its allies fared poorer still with Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP winning only three out of 41 seats and Upendra Kushwaha-led RLSP winning two out of 23.
Mahadalit leader Jitan Ram Manjhi's, who was given a big poll profile by the BJP, dream of emerging as the preeminent Schedules Castes leaders was shattered in the wave in the favour of Kumar, whom he had ditched to join hands with BJP.
Manjhi was the sole winner could in the 21 seats his Hindustan Awam Morcha (secular) contested.
If there was one moment that put BJP on a defensive mode from which it could never recover was RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's suggestion for a review of reservation, giving the grand alliance a potent weapon which Prasad and Kumar exploited to the hilt.
As BJP sensed a tough going following the first two phases of elections, party strategists decided to talk up Modi's extremely backward caste origin to woo the community and then played the religion card.
The Prime Minister, himself raked up Kumar's past advocacy for a quota for Muslims saying that he had tried to "snatch" it from the backward class to hand it over to a "particular community".
The controversies over beef and Modi and Shah raking up the reservation issue time and again to wean away OBCs and Dalits appeared to have consolidated the minorities against the BJP while failing to impress the backward among the Hindus.'
The 'mandal' credentials of the two backward satraps, Kumar and Prasad, proved too formidable for their voters to inject any doubt in their mind.
Shah's controversial "firecrackers will burst in Pakistan if BJP loses" remark may have further polarised minorities in the favour of the grand alliance without bringing him the dividends he would have expected.
In a state seen as a bastion of 'mandal' politics, BJP also appeared to have missed a trick by giving over 40 per cent of its tickets to upper castes who together make up for little more than 14 per cent of voters.
After two phases of polling and resentment over "Delhi domination", the party sought to correct course by incorporating pictures of local leaders but that was perhaps too late.

After BJP defeat,Shah's 'crackers in Pak' comment echoes again

New Delhi, Nov 8 (PTI) After BJP's stinging defeat in Bihar Assembly polls, party chief Amit Shah's controversial "firecrackers in Pakistan" comment was recalled today and became a subject of derision and humour in political circles and social media.

Shah had brought up the neighbouring country during electioneering when he said "if by mistake BJP loses the polls crackers will go off in Pakistan".

"Pakistan gonna be mad polluted tonight," said a tweet by Rohan.

In Pakistan, one twitter user said she had "to go and set off firecrackers for BJP’s defeat".

In a tweet, SenatorSherryRehman said," Crackers? Pakistan would care if any of this was about cricket. Otherwise a #Bihar loss or win for BJP is more imp to India than anyone else."

In the past, several BJP leaders have in controversial comments said that those opposed to the government’s policies or the ruling party should be sent to Pakistan.

"I dont know about Pakistan but I can hear a lot of crackers in India #BiharResults," wrote @shammybaweja.

"Now expecting this year's annual NASA Diwali picture to show more lights in Pakistan than India because BJP did not win," tweeted Subhasish Das.

Congress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram said that to say in the Bihar campaign that fireworks will be let off in Pakistan if the grand alliance won reflected an "autocratic and arbitrary" attitude.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah also responded in a ligher vein when a passenger on landing in Delhi said, "we can't really see anything outside." "Sorry, it's all the smoke from the crackers in Pakistan," Omar tweeted in an indirect jibe at Shah.

After Shah's "firecrackers in Pakistan" comment, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had during the poll campaign returned the fire, saying Mumbai and Amritsar will witness "maximum fireworks" if the BJP loses Bihar assembly polls, alluding to its strains with allies in Maharashtra and Punjab.

On trends that initially showed the BJP-led combine ahead of the grand alliance, Omar earlier said, "The BJP needs to get a refund from some news channels for crackers wasted this morning." Some BJP workers in Patna had burst crackers on the basis of the initial trends shown by some TV channels that put the party-led NDA ahead.

Bihar verdict proves most exit polls wrong

New Delhi, Nov 8 (PTI) As in the past, many of the exit polls gave a clear majority to the BJP-led NDA going way off the mark in ground realities while those that predicted victory for the 'grand alliance' did not anticipate the sweep.
Today's Chankaya which had acquired reputation for its to-the-mark prediction, especially in the last Lok Sabha polls and the Delhi Assembly elections in 2013, came out with a profuse apology for its prediction of 155 seats for the BJP-led NDA.
"We sincerely apologise (to) all our friends & well wishers for not (being) able to predict Bihar. Many Congratulations!!!! to the winning alliance parties (sic)," Today's Chanakya tweeted on its official handle.
The NDTV also apologised for the error in its forecast as well as the early trends and blamed it on incorrect data.
"The data from the field-work agency is normally reliable... was incorrect. And it happens. We are looking into it on what went wrong. We take the responsibility and sincerely apologise," Prannoy Roy said on NDTV.
Even today, after counting of votes began some channels including NDTV and ABP showed NDA ahead and the grand alliance trailing. While NDTV showed that the NDA was ahead in 88 seats as against grand alliance in 57 of 150 seats, ABP said the NDA was leading in 75 seats while the Nitish Kumar-led alliance was ahead in 70 seats out of 149.
With channels showing different trends, there was quite an uproar on social networking site Twitter. Finally many stuck to the figures released by the Election Commission of India or by Doordarshan till the picture became clear.
An exit poll on NDTV channel gave 120 to 130 seats for the NDA and 105 to 115 to rival JD(U)-led Grand Alliance.
Polls on Times Now in association with C-Voter had predicted 122 seats in a house of 243 to the grand alliance while News X predicted 130 to 140 seats for it. The two channels gave the BJP-led alliance 111 and 90 to 100 seats respectively.
India Today-Cicero poll predicted 113 to 127 seats for the NDA comprising BJP, LJP, HAM (Secular) and RLSP and 111 to 123 for the JDU-led alliance while Hindi channel India TV forecast 112 to 132 seats for the JD-U led alliance and 101 to 121 for the NDA.
The Nitish Kumar-led alliance was predicted to get a simple majority of 120 to 124 by the News Nation channel, which predicted 115 to 119 seats for the rival alliance.
ABP-Nielsen poll predicted 130 seats for the JD(U)-led alliance against 108 for BJP-headed grouping.
However, at the end, it turned out to be a different picture, with the Nitish-led 'grand alliance' bagging 166 seats and leading in 12 others, something no exit poll had predicted. The NDA managed to win or lead in only 58 of the 243 seats.

Nitish gets 3rd term as CM; 2/3rd majority for Grand Alliance

Patna, Nov 8 (PTI) The Grand Alliance today routed the BJP-led NDA in Bihar to score a landslide two-thirds majority in the Assembly giving Chief Minister Nitish Kumar a third term in office in a battle in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi staked his all.

Making a spectacular comeback after the severe drubbing in the last year's Lok Sabha polls at the hands of Modi, the newly-formed JD(U)-RJD-Congress alliance secured 178 seats in the 243-member House. RJD emerged the leader of the pack with 80 seats while JD(U) bagged 71. Both the parties had contested 101 seats each. Congress also made impressive gains winning 27 seats out of 41. It had won only 4 last time.

The BJP-led NDA, for which Modi mounted an aggressive campaign addressing more than 30 rallies, bagged 58 seats. BJP on its own got 53 seats out of 157 it contested while its allies also put up a poor show. LJP, led by Ram Vilas Paswan, and RLSP of Upendra Kushwaha got two seats each. Former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's HAM won only one of the two seats he contested and lost in all the 19 others it fought in.

In the last assembly polls which JDU and BJP fought together, the two parties had got 115 and 91 seats respectively. The RJD and Congress, which had fought on their own, bagged 22 and 04 seats respectively.

For Modi, the Bihar results are seen as a personal setback for the second time in 10 months after BJP's disastrous show in Delhi Assembly polls where Aam Aadmi Party secured 67 of the 70 seats, leaving only three to BJP.

After leading his party to a stunning majority in the Lok Sabha polls in May last year, Modi also ensured success for the party in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand, where the party formed government on its own. In Jammu and Kashmir, BJP became part of the coalition government with PDP in March.

After the Modi juggernaut decimated Congress, RJD and JDU in Bihar bagging 31 of 40 Lok Sabha seats, the three rival parties came together in the assembly bye polls that happened months later. They won six out of the 10 seats that gave them the necessary boost to join forces and repeat the success on a massive scale.

CPI(ML-L), which contested on its own, got two seats while Independents were successful in four seats. AIMIM of Assadudin Owaisi and Janadhikar Party of Lok Sabha member Pappu Yadav drew a blank.

Appearing together before the media after the results, Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad said the poll verdict would have an impact on national politics as it shows that there is yearning for a "good and strong alternative" and a "powerful opposition" to BJP.

Describing the election as a "milestone", Kumar said the result was for "harmony" and against "intolerance". He said efforts at polarisation have failed.

Lalu, while attacking Modi, said the alliance will launch a "strong nationwide movement" against BJP as part of "march towards Delhi" and will begin with a rally within 10 days in the Prime Minister's constituency Varanasi.

"The priority for the new government will progress with justice and inclusive growth," Kumar said, adding the promises of the common programme of the alliance will be honoured.

He said there will be "no ill will" against anybody and the government will work with the opposition with a positive approach for the development of the state.

Kumar said the Prime Minister had called him up to congratulate him and hoped that the Centre would extend all cooperation to his government. He also expressed hope that the package announced by the Prime Minister for Bihar before the elections would be implemented. "We need central assistance." In the overall analysis, the grand alliance got 8 per cent more vote over the rival alliance that translated into a difference of a whopping 120 seats for the winner.

The victorious combine registered an overall 41.9 percent with RJD getting 18.4 per cent, JD (U) 16.8 per cent and Congress 6.7 per cent.

The BJP secured 24.4 percent, the highest by a single party, but it did not translate enough into seats it would have liked. The BJP-led alliance including its allies LJP (4.8 per cent), RLSP (2.6 per cent) and HAM (2.1 per cent) got an 33.9 per cent votes.

With NDA losing badly, rumblings began in the NDA, including within BJP. Two MPs from the state R K Singh and Shatrughan Sinha called for "introspection" and analysis of these results.

NDA ally Shiv Sena also rubbed salt into the wounds of BJP, with its leader Sanjay Raut saying the poll result "denotes decline of a leader" in an apparent reference to Modi and asserted that it will bring in a "new" turn in the country's politics.

Modi, Shah, Jaitley responsible for Bihar loss: Shourie

New Delhi, Nov 8 (PTI) Former Union Minister Arun Shourie today said Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Arun Jaitley should be held accountable for BJP's loss in Bihar elections and predicted that the "silent non-cooperation movement" in the party against the leadership will now deepen.

He said a "Modi-centric" campaign "lacked credibility" because of the unkept promises of the past and blamed BJP's "divisive tactics" for the drubbing.

Shourie, a minister in the Vajpayee government, who is no longer with the party, accused Shah and Jaitley of "fomenting" a coalition against Modi by forcing the other opposition parties, which commanding over 69 per cent of vote, to get into an alliance.

He said that the BJP came to power at the height of Modi's popularity with merely 31 per cent votes.

"It is Modi, the master strategist (Shah) and Jaitley," he said when asked who should be held responsible for the defeat. "There is no fourth person in the party or the government."

Asked what went wrong with the party's Bihar campaign, he said, "everything".

Elaborating his comments, he said "a Modi-centric campaign, a divisive campaign and the campaign lacked credibility as promises of the past have not been kept".

In this context, he referred to Modi's claim during Lok Sabha poll campaign that everybody will get Rs 15 lakh with the amount of black money he would bring to India if he was voted to power.

And then their party president said it was a 'jumla', so people will obviously not take you seriously when you make new promises, he added.

Asked about the implications of the loss for the party and the government, he said, "The silent non-cooperation movement against them (Modi, Shah, Jaitley) will deepen. In the government, bureaucracy will also not be forthcoming." Once an avid supporter of Modi, Shourie has turned a sharp critic of his government and the party.