The NDA acknowledged that supporters poured in at Gandhi Maidan, but in the same breath they questioned the actual number of participants at the BJP bhagao, desh bachao rally on Sunday.
"Lalu claimed 25 lakh people would come to the rally. But not even 10th of the crowd of Gareeb Rally assembled today," tweeted deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who mocked the rally calling it "an assembly of formers".
"Apart from (Bengal chief minister) Mamata Banerjee, all the others present on the stage were former chief ministers. They will remain formers," he said.
Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) chief and Union minister Upendra Kushwaha, who is also an NDA ally, however, acknowledged the crowd.
"But each speaker was talking about himself. It would have been better if they had spoken about Bihar and the country," he said.
Chief minister Nitish Kumar was, however, in Patna but did not react to the rally in which he was the prime target. However, it doesn't mean the JDU was not watching.
"This was not a political rally. It was a drama. Nautch girls were called in the evening to attract crowds and on the stage former health minister (Tej Pratap) was blowing a sankh (conch)," said JDU spokesperson Ajay Alok.
He questioned the RJD's claim that the rally broke all records.
"Some photographs were posted on social media but actually the crowd was nothing compared to the (1993) Gareeb Rally," he added.
For the JDU, the focus was more on its former national president Sharad Yadav. "Now, the party will initiate action against Sharad Yadav," said JDU MLC Sanjay Singh.
Many NDA leaders were quick to dub it a flop show and road construction minister Nand Kishore Yadav called the rally a "unity of the corrupt".
Privately, NDA leaders agreed that the footfall was more than they had expected, especially at a time when 18 districts of Bihar are reeling under floods.
"But it should not cause concern for the NDA. The overwhelming percentage of the participants belonged to the core vote bank of the RJD (the Yadavs and the Muslims). There was very little participation by other castes," said a senior BJP leader.
The NDA had the support of the economically backward classes (EBCs) and other none backward castes in the 2010 Assembly polls when they had reduced the RJD to 22.
"There were no indications in the rally that we cannot do this (pushing RJD to 22) again," said a JDU leader.
The NDA also pointed out that the RJD has 80 MLAs and if they had all brought 5,000 people each, as directed by the party, the Gandhi Maidan would have been full.
Many NDA leaders, however, believe that the rally will have no major political implications.
"The rally proved that Lalu still enjoys support among his core supporters," the JDU leader said, adding that the next polls were more than 20 months away, which is a substantial time for the political scenario to change.
