Why Tejashwi Yadav Does Not Want Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM In Bihar Alliance
Last week, MLA and AIMIM's Bihar chief Akhtarul Iman arrived at RJD founder Lalu Prasad Yadav's residence at Patna's Circular Road with a posse of drumbeaters
- Date & Time:
- |
- Views: 26
- |
- From: India News Bull
Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM has expressed willingness to join the RJD-led Grand Alliance in Bihar
New Delhi:
On Thursday last week, AIMIM's Bihar president Akhtarul Iman made a dramatic appearance at Lalu Prasad Yadav's Patna residence on Circular Road, accompanied by drummers. Amid the rhythmic beats, Mr. Iman distributed pamphlets and announced to media representatives that AIMIM was prepared to join the RJD-Congress Mahagathbandhan, requesting just six seats in the Muslim-majority Seemanchal region.
AIMIM had achieved a remarkable electoral breakthrough by securing five seats in the 2020 elections. However, four of these elected legislators subsequently defected to the RJD.
In a conversation with NDTV, AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi revealed that his party has approached the RJD three times seeking alliance talks, but received no response. "Akhtarul Iman sent two letters to Lalu Prasad Yadav and a final one to Tejashwi Yadav. We stated that we're willing to contest just six seats. We wouldn't even demand ministerial positions if the alliance forms government. What more could we offer?" he questioned.
"When our four MLAs were taken, nobody raised concerns. Yet when BJP acquired Shiv Sena's MLAs, there was tremendous outcry," Mr. Owaisi remarked.
AIMIM's inclusion in the Mahagathbandhan would likely prevent anti-NDA vote fragmentation and strengthen the alliance's position in this high-stakes election. Why then is Tejashwi Yadav's party resisting AIMIM's entry into the Opposition coalition?
RJD's Perspective on Rejecting AIMIM Alliance
RJD leaders explain that Muslims constitute a significant portion of their voter base, making an alliance with AIMIM—which appeals to the same demographic—unnecessary from their perspective. When questioned about AIMIM's five-seat victory previously, RJD sources clarified that four of those elected as AIMIM legislators were actually disaffected RJD members denied party tickets. "They temporarily joined Owaisi's organization. After winning, they returned due to their longstanding RJD connections," a party insider explained. The high-ranking source also posed a rhetorical question: would Mr. Owaisi be willing to share seats in his Hyderabad stronghold if RJD proposed an alliance there?
Muslim Voting Patterns and Seemanchal's Strategic Importance
Electoral data shows that Muslim voting behavior in Bihar varies depending on the community's population density in specific constituencies. Seemanchal's four districts, encompassing 24 Assembly seats, have substantial Muslim populations and represent one of Bihar politics' most sensitive battlegrounds. Purnia, Katihar, Araria and Kishanganj have Muslim populations of approximately 38 percent, 44 percent, 43 percent, and 68 percent respectively. This demographic reality explains why Muslim voters in this region viewed AIMIM as a viable RJD alternative during the last election. In areas with smaller Muslim populations, voters typically support parties with greater winning potential to avoid vote splitting.
RJD's Strategic Concerns
RJD leadership worries that allowing AIMIM representation in Seemanchal would lead to future demands for seats in other Muslim-concentrated areas, particularly in Mithilanchal's Darbhanga and Madhubani districts.
However, rejecting an alliance carries potential consequences.
In the 2020 election, the NDA secured 12 of Seemanchal's 24 seats (BJP 8, JDU 4), while the Mahagathbandhan won 7 (Congress 5, RJD 1, CPIML 1), and AIMIM claimed 5. The constituencies that AIMIM won had previously supported the Mahagathbandhan in 2015, when JDU was part of the Opposition alliance. Therefore, vote fragmentation could potentially harm the RJD and the broader INDIA bloc.
But Tejashwi Yadav's party has a deeper concern. Incorporating AIMIM into the Opposition coalition might enable BJP's campaign machinery to frame the election as a Hindu-Muslim contest. Such religious polarization could benefit BJP across Bihar. RJD appears unwilling to risk losing the statewide contest for a regional victory in Seemanchal.
Questions persist, however. The Mahagathbandhan has welcomed Pashupati Paras's Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (a Lok Janshakti Party offshoot) and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha—parties with minimal political influence in Bihar compared to AIMIM. Nevertheless, RJD remains steadfast in its decision to exclude AIMIM from the alliance.