Bihar Chief
Minister and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar has cleared the air over
his “last poll” remark, which sparked rumours about his possible retirement, saying
his words were “misunderstood” and that it is something he says to wrap up an
election campaign.

Speaking to journalists for the first time since
the NDA’s victory in the Bihar assembly election on Thursday, Kumar said, “You guys did not
get it right. I say the same thing at the last rally in every election ant
bhala to sab bhala (all is well that ends well),” PTI reported.

“Listen to what I said before and after it
and you will understand the context. Had you done so, you would not have
misunderstood it,” Kumar said.

At a campaign rally in Purnea district last
week, shortly prior to campaigning for the third and final phase of the polls,
Kumar said “ye mera aakhiri chunaav hai” (this is my last election), which many understood as his possible retirement. 

However, the NDA alliance in Bihar, which apart
from the JD(U) includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindustan Awam
Morcha and the Vikasheel Insaan Party, surpassed the majority mark (122) in the 243-member assembly by winning 125 seats.

The BJP emerged as the largest party in the
alliance with 74, with Kumar’s JD(U) significantly underperforming, bagging only
43 seats compared to 71 in 2015.

The 69-year-old was not pleased with the
whole anti-incumbency narrative in the run-up to the election, along with the
predictions of a rout for the current dispensation.

“I have been selflessly serving people.
Still, some people succeeded in creating some confusion. You must have noted
the anxieties triggered in public mind following the projections of the exit
polls,” he said.

Exit polls predicted a victory for the
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-led Grand Alliance, which led to concerns among the ruling
party and their allies of a return to the former lawless days in the state.

“Jungle raj”, referring to the lawlessless
in the state that prevailed for 15 years before Nitish took over, became the
predominant theme of their campaigning.  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is being
credited for the BJP’s stellar success, had repeatedly warned the people of the
state against promises made by Prasad’s heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav, whom he
never mentioned by name but always referred to as “jungle raj ke
yuvraj”.