New Delhi, Nov 14 (PTI) Left parties on Friday termed the Mahagathbandhan's defeat in the Bihar Assembly polls a major setback and pointed out that the results were reflective of ground realities.

The ruling NDA decimated the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar to retain power, reaffirming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's enduring appeal and dealing a body blow to the Congress and its ally RJD.

The massive scale of the victory of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) can be gauged from the fact that its two main constituents -- BJP and JD(U) -- are on course for an over 85 per cent strike rate in 101 seats each they had contested.

CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby said the results were "quite unexpected" and stressed that the opposition alliance needs to

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