LS Bypoll Results In UP, Bihar A Bad Omen For BJP: Naveen

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday said the results of the just-concluded Lok Sabha by-elections in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have dealt a rude shock to the BJP government at the Centre.

“The BJP is sinking very fast,” he said, replying to questions from  mediapersons here about the rise of the saffron party in several states, including the recent poll successes in the north-eastern states.

Asked whether he is contemplating to join an anti-BJP coalition, the BJD president said, “We haven’t thought of any alliance for the time being. There are no such thoughts either.”

The BJP lost four out of five seats for which bypoll was held in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The results were declared on Wednesday.

In Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party (SP) registered stunning victories in Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats, which were vacated by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. In both seats, Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supported the SP candidates.

In Bihar, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) of Lalu Prasad Yadav won the Lok Sabha bypoll in Araria and the Assembly by-election in Jehanabad, while the BJP managed to retain the Bhabua seat.