RJD backs Tejashwi, says "LS poll result obtained through conspiracy"

The RJD on Tuesday refused to accept the party's poor performance in the just-concluded General Elections, saying the "result was obtained through conspiracy".

The party's view was conveyed to mediapersons by senior leader Jagadanand Singh after a day-long meeting of senior party leader Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi Yadav with the 19 LS candidates of the RJD.

Singh, who himself lost to Union minister Ashwani Kumar Choubey for the Buxar seat, said the party leaders reposed faith in Tejashwi Yadav.

He praised Tejashwi for working hard in the run up to the polls, addressing 235 public meetings in total.

He said Tejashwi, who is party president Lalu Prasad Yadav's younger son and heir apparent, has been successful in energising the youths.

Singh said the party has constituted a three-member committee to analyse in detail the reasons for the poll defeat and the conspiracy angle.

Besides Singh, senior RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui and Bihar unit secretary general Alok Mehta are the other members in the committee, which would submit its report within a week, RJD state president Ram Chandra Purbe said.

"We dont accept the poll result as the peoples mandate. We dont reckon the majority garnered through conspiracy as peoples' mandate. This is the result of conspiracy," Singh said.

Singh, accompanied by RJD state president Ram Chandra Purbe, was talking to reporters here outside Rabri Devi's 10, Circular Road residence after the party meeting.

The RJD spearheaded the five-party 'mahagathbandhan' in the 40 LS seats of Bihar. While the RJD drew a blank, Congress won just the Kishanganj seat in the state. Its opponent National Democratic Alliance won 39 seats.

Singh said the party leaders reposed full faith in the leadership of Tejashwi, and said as per the party's national council, he will continue to lead the party till the 2020 Assembly elections.

"The allies of 'mahagathbandhan' are not at all feeling demoralised or discouraged for 2020 assembly elections. We, rather, feel that the people had given mandate in our favour but the opponents garnered majority through conspiracy," Singh reiterated.

Other than the RJD and the Congress, the Bihar mahagathbandhan consisted of the RLSP, HAM and VIP.

When asked whether the party would take action against Tej Pratap Yadav for canvassing against party nominee in Jehanabad, where the party lost by a few more than a thousand votes, Singh evaded the question, saying he was raising a more important issue.

The two-day meeting will continue on Wednesday with a meeting of grand alliance partners followed by legislature party meeting of the RJD in the evening, Singh added.

Senior RJD MLA Maheshwar Prasad Yadav had attacked Tejashwi Yadav on Monday and demanded he step down as the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, taking moral responsibility for the poll debacle.