Patna, Dec. 7: The newly appointed state RJD president Ram Chandra Purvey today admitted that his party never imagined that the Assembly election results would be so shocking.

Purvey officially took charge as the state unit president in place of Abdul Bari Siddiqui today. Siddiqui had recently resigned from the post of the state unit RJD president after he was elected the leader of Opposition in the newly constituted Assembly.

“We never thought in the wildest dream that despite getting such a good response from candidates, the party would not get the people’s mandate,” said Purvey.

He promised to revive the party after the resounding defeat in the recently concluded Assembly polls.

“With the co-operation of RJD workers and leaders the party would regain its place as a major political force in Bihar under Lalu Prasad’s leadership,” said Purvey soon after taking charge.

Siddiqui also attended the ceremony where many former MLAs and ministers garlanded Purvey.

Speaking on the occasion Purvey said: “I will fulfil the responsibilities given by Laluji. I will try to put in new energy among the party workers and will make the party more active. Our party respects the people’s mandate but saying that RJD had lost the mass support is completely wrong. RJD still enjoys mass support.”

When asked about the political death of RJD, Purvey rubbished the statement and said: “In this Assembly election the vote has spilt. NDA has secured 1.1 crore votes and similarly the RJD-LJP alliance have secured good amount of votes. We are not lacking in anything and the NDA should not rejoice at the RJD’s poll defeat. They should remember that 61 per cent of the electorate had voted against the ruling coalition.”

Purvey also attacked the NDA for making claims about development in the state during its previous stint and said: “The state continued to remain a backward region and the condition of the rural people is still in bad shape. NDA leaders claim that the state has developed but it cannot be seen in the villages. People living below poverty line have become poorer. Students are still migrating to other states in search of better education centres and jobs.”

The party would organise a two-day meeting on December 21 and 22. Purvey highlighting the need for the meeting said: “In the two-day meeting party workers and candidates will review and analyse the cause of defeat. We will also make our strategy for another five years and will work as a constructive Opposition party.”

Another former minister Vidya Sagar Nishad has been made the state unit RJD vice-president, Ram Kripal Yadav the party’s chief general secretary and Kumar Rakesh Ranjan its treasurer.

Former minister Shakeel Ahmed Khan has been elevated to the post of chief spokesman of state unit RJD, while former MLA Shiv Chandra Ram has been made the RJD (youth) president.