Patna, Jul 22 (IANS): After the below-par performance of the Janata Dal (United) in last years Assembly elections in Bihar, several reasons have been cited for the party's underperformance.

During a meeting of JD(U) officials held recently in Patna, Vijay Chaudhary, known to be close to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, said that the unexpected results in the Assembly elections came not because the people of Bihar did not give votes, but due to a ‘conspiracy', sources said on Wednesday.

Nitish Kumar and other JD(U) leaders are displeased for winning just 43 seats in the 2020 Assembly elections, 26 less than what the party managed in 2015.

Chaudhary, however, did not name any party behind the conspiracy against JD(U).

"Chaudhary cannot blame Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD for the conspiracy as the latter fought the elections against the JD(U). Hence, it is clear that the BJP is the only party in the state which could have conspired against the JD(U)," said a senior JD(U) leader who was present in the closed-door meeting, requested anonymity.

"The Nitish Kumar government has carried out so many public welfare works during his last tenure from 2015 to 2020. Still, the party won only 43 seats. Such a dismal result came not due to our failure, but because the conspirators executed the plan well against us," he said.