Bihar result is victory of meritorious leadership: Arun Jaitley

NEW DELHI - The Bihar electoral verdict was a victory of “meritorious leadership over dynastic politics”, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley said Wednesday.

“I congratulate the people of Bihar for showing extreme maturity,” Jaitley said in a press conference here Wednesday as vote counting in Bihar showed that the alliance of the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and the BJP was headed towards a sweeping victory.

“It marks a new signal in Indian polity. It is a victory of meritorious leadership over dynastic politics,” he said.

The BJP’s leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha took a swipe at the Congress, which had fielded its general secretary Rahul Gandhi for campaigning in the six-phase elections.

“Our opponents perhaps thought elections are fought only on dynastic policy. This election marks a new beginning for Indian politics. And we hope this trend in Indian politics continues,” he said.

Referring clearly to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi, he said: “Bihar’s voters have shown that a family or glamour cannot match proven track record (in governance).”

Rashtriya Janata Dal’s (RJD) Lalu Prasad also came under the scanner.

“When we won in 2005, people said it was a negative vote, it was a vote against Lalu Prasad and not for us. This time, the vote is clearly for us… Our opponents could not understand what the people wanted.”

“In the last five years, the way the NDA governed under Nitish Kumar, a great hope has been re-awakened among the people of Bihar. There was earlier a fear under the previous government, now there is optimism. Earlier there was disappointment, now there is hope,” he added in a poetic turn of phrase.