Patna: JD(U) MLA from Mokama, Anant Singh, on Tuesday attributed the BJP’s decision to replace former chief minister and JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar with its own leader as chief minister as one of the major reasons for the party’s defeat in the Bankipur bypoll. Singh, however, clarified that this was his assessment of the public sentiment and not his personal view.“The outcome of the byelection was a pointer to the mass sentiment that had been prevailing in his constituency and outside it. By and large, people have remained dissatisfied with the change of guard and leadership in the state govt,” Singh told reporters.He said the public sentiment bordered on “sadness”, as people believed that the mandate of the 2025 assembly election was in favour of Nitish Kumar continuing as the CM. According to Singh, the change of leadership this year, did not go down well with voters.“If Nitish had been the CM, the situation in the Bankipur bypoll would have been different and the BJP could have won and retained the seat,” Singh said.Singh, however, said his personal assessment was different from what he described as the public perception. “The fact is that Nitish stepped down from the post of CM on his own decision, but this is not the understanding of the public and they do not accept the official line of the NDA partners,” he said.
