Ground workers of mahagathbandhan partners didn't cooperate, votes not transferred: Cong leader

Votes did not get transferred among grand alliance constituents in Bihar and that is one of the reasons behind its debacle in the Lok Sabha polls, Congress leader Akhilesh Prasad Singh said Tuesday.

Top leaders of grand alliance partners -- the RJD, Congress, RLSP, HAM and VIP -- cooperated with each other but that did not happen among the ground-level workers, he claimed.

The ruling NDA inflicted a body blow to the five-party grand alliance in the state, winning all but one out of the 40 seats. The only saving grace for the 'Mahagathbandhan' was the Congress retaining the Kishanganj constituency.

"Such a poor result would not have happened if votes had been transferred among the partners of the 'mahagathbandhan' in Bihar," said Singh who was the Bihar Congress campaign committee chairman.

Going by the attendance at Rahul Gandhi's public meetings in Bihar, the grand alliance should have won at least half of 40 Lok Sabha seats, the former Union minister told a press conference.

He said the Bihar Congress is yet to hold a meeting to analyse the poll outcome.

To a question, he said, "People (sons of party leaders) get party ticket only after the Congress high command approves it. It's not that a person gets ticket on its own."
Earlier in the day, Giriraj Singh tweeted in Hindi, "How beautiful the picture would have been had phalaahaar (a fruit feast) been organized during Navaratra with the same zeal. Why do we lag behind in observance of our own karm-dharm (religious customs) in public, while staying ahead in pretence."
Akhilesh Prasad Singh said, "An iftaar party was held at Indian High Commission in Islamabad just two days ago. It would not have been organised without the prime minister's consent. He (Giriraj) should ask this question to the PM first."