AIMIM to Contest 100 Seats in Bihar Elections After INDIA Bloc Rejection: Owaisi Builds Third Alternative

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi announced on Saturday that his party plans to contest approximately 100 seats in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, after being rejected by the INDIA bloc. This represents a fivefold increase from the number of constituencies they contested in the previous electoral cycle.

The Hyderabad MP's party aims to establish a "third alternative" in Bihar's political landscape, which has long been dominated by two major alliances - the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-RJD coalition.

In conversation with PTI-Bhasha, AIMIM's Bihar state president Akhtarul Iman stated, "Our strategy involves contesting 100 seats. Both the NDA and 'Mahagathbandhan' (Bihar's designation for the INDIA bloc) will be compelled to acknowledge our political presence." He further claimed that the 'Mahagathbandhan', which previously accused AIMIM of dividing secular votes in 2020, can no longer maintain this narrative.

"It is now public knowledge that I reached out to RJD president Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi Yadav expressing our willingness for an alliance. However, we received no response," Iman revealed.

"We must now focus on expanding our political footprint. Indeed, we are engaging with like-minded political entities to explore forming a third front. The situation will become clearer within days," the AIMIM leader added.

The elections for Bihar's 243-member legislative assembly are scheduled for November 6 and 11, with vote counting set for November 14.

In the 2020 assembly elections, AIMIM had formed an alliance with former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's BSP and the now-dissolved Rashtriya Lok Samata Party, previously led by ex-Union minister Upendra Kushwaha. Kushwaha has since established the Rashtriya Lok Morcha and joined the NDA.

AIMIM secured five seats in the previous assembly elections and was perceived to have undermined the RJD, Congress, and Left alliance in several other constituencies.

However, in 2022, four AIMIM MLAs defected to the RJD, leaving Iman - who previously belonged to both the RJD and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) - as the party's sole legislator.

Political analysts suggest that AIMIM sees potential in Bihar, where Muslims constitute over 17 percent of the population but have historically lacked proportionate representation in the state legislature.

Last month, Owaisi visited the Seemanchal region, touring districts including Kishanganj, Araria, Katihar, and Purnea over four days. These areas have significant Muslim populations.

While Owaisi criticizes the RJD, JD(U), and Congress for their alleged indifference toward Muslims, the barrister-politician faces accusations of being "a B team of the BJP," allegedly dividing "secular votes" to benefit the saffron party.