Asaduddin Owaisi Refutes 'BJP's B Team' Allegations After AIMIM's Five-Seat Victory in Bihar Elections

New Delhi:

After securing five assembly seats in Bihar, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi anticipated accusations of being "BJP's B team" - this time from the Rashtriya Janata Dal, which suffered a significant defeat in the election. However, Owaisi pointed out that the Mahagathbandhan's extensive loss requires deeper examination. In an exclusive interview with Rahul Kanwal, the Chief Executive Officer and Editor-in-Chief of NDTV, Owaisi also confirmed his intention to contest the next assembly election in Uttar Pradesh, while plans for Bengal remain undecided.

NDTV data revealed that of the 23 seats contested by AIMIM, they influenced the outcome in eight constituencies - six won by the NDA and two by the Opposition alliance. When questioned about the "B Team" allegations under these circumstances, Owaisi dismissed them firmly.

"Can those who blame me explain why, after allocating 36 percent of tickets to 14 percent Yadavs, they still lost? Do they possess the intellectual honesty or boldness to admit that Yadavs didn't vote for them?" Owaisi challenged.

"Do they have the honesty to acknowledge that they were offering the deputy Chief Minister position to a community representing just 3.5 percent of the population, and that community didn't support them?" he added, highlighting that Muslims constitute a much larger voter segment.

Beyond Muslims, Owaisi noted other demographic sections - Brahmins, Thakurs, Bhumihars, and Extremely Backward Classes - whose votes the Opposition could have secured. "Why does everything ultimately focus on Muslims?" he questioned.

Owaisi's party had initially approached the opposition alliance requesting six seats, but RJD's Tejashwi Yadav reportedly declined.

The AIMIM leader remarked that political parties in India have historically blamed Muslims for their electoral failures.

"Mr. Modi has become Prime Minister three times. Bihar voters have again given Nitish Kumar a mandate. It's shocking to hear Akhilesh Yadav's statements to the media, blaming SIR," Owaisi said.

He pointed out that Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi together have lost numerous parliamentary and assembly elections since 2014. "What do you want us to do? What do these people expect Muslims to do?" he asked.

Regarding upcoming elections, Owaisi said about Bengal, "We need to discuss further, but it's too early now... However, for UP, the game is definitely on."

He expressed confidence that his party will aim for more seats in Uttar Pradesh. "We hope to continue our alliance with Chandrasekhar Azad or with Soumya Prasad Maurya in UP," he added.

In 2020, AIMIM won five seats in Bihar's Seemanchal region, and they have maintained this performance in the recent election. Seemanchal comprises four districts - Araria, Katihar, Kishanganj, and Purnea - containing 24 assembly seats and a substantial portion of Bihar's Muslim population.

The party retained all constituencies won previously - Kochadhaman and Bahadurganj in Kishanganj district, Amour and Baisi in Purnea, and Jokihat in Araria.