Sharad Yadav takes dig at Nitish Kumar, says those who 'trampled' people's mandate have been defeated in bypolls

New Delhi: Sharad Yadav, who had broken ranks with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar over his decision to ally with the BJP, on Wednesday claimed vindication after the NDA suffered electoral losses in the bypolls in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Yadav also took a dig at Kumar, who is also the JD(U) chief, saying those who had trampled on the people’s mandate and had switched sides have been defeated. The results show that the Grand Alliance remains intact, Yadav said. [caption id=“attachment_4242633” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Sharad Yadav. PTI[/caption] “The one who stood by the mandate has been vindicated,” Yadav said, referring to his opposition to Kumar’s alliance with the BJP. The Opposition’s unity has got the better of the BJP, he said, claiming that the latter had won in Uttar Pradesh assembly elections in 2017 due to division of votes. “People are feeling suffocated and waiting for a change of government at the Centre as they believe that they made a blunder in 2014,” Yadav said. In a stunning blow to the BJP ahead of the 2019 general elections, the party on Wednesday lost bypolls to all three Lok Sabha seats it contested, including its bastion Gorakhpur, and Phulpur in Uttar Pradesh, besides Araria in Bihar. In small consolation for the BJP, it retained the Bhabhua Assembly seat. The RJD retained the Jehanabad Assembly seat.