Robert Vadra doubts NDA’s big Bihar win, seeks repoll

Indore, Nov 16 (PTI) Robert Vadra, the businessman husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, on Sunday cast aspersions on the ruling NDA’s sweeping victory in the Bihar polls, claiming they “were not conducted properly” and that fresh elections should be held there.

He made the remark while raising questions about the role of the Election Commission in the polls.

His brother-in-law and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi had on Friday termed the Bihar results “truly surprising” and said “we could not achieve victory in an election that was not fair from the very beginning”.

“The people of Bihar are actually not happy (with the poll result). Whatever has happened, it has happened because of the Election Commission. The Election Commission has helped,” Vadra told the media here.

Without naming the NDA, Vadra claimed no one agreed with the outcome of the Bihar polls.

He said, “Rahul Gandhi will meet people tomorrow. All the youth will join him, and they will launch a movement to protect democracy.” Vadra reiterated that the recently concluded assembly elections in Bihar “were not conducted properly” and that fresh elections should be held there.

The businessman claimed the verdict would change if re-elections were held in the eastern state.

“The country needs change. Whatever wrong the government is doing, the youths do not like it. We will definitely fight for democracy,” said Vadra, who is on a two-day religious visit to Madhya Pradesh. He will travel to Ujjain and other pilgrimage sites.

In Bihar, the NDA put up a stunning show, winning 202 of the state’s 243 seats. Its two main constituents, the BJP and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), won 89 and 85 seats, respectively. The Mahagathbandhan, a coalition of the Congress, RJD and other parties, could bag only 35 seats. PTI HWP LAL NR