Bihar polls: AIMIM to project itself as 'alternative' to NDA, Mahagathbandhan

NEW DELHI: The Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) connected Saturday announced it volition contention the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, aiming to supply a “alternative” to voters successful a authorities traditionally dominated by the JD(U)-BJP and RJD-Congress blocs.“Our program is to contention 100 seats. Both the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan volition beryllium forced to realise our presence,” AIMIM authorities president Akhtarul Iman told PTI.The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which governs Bihar, comprises the JD(U), BJP, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Hindustani Awam Morcha, portion the absorption Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) includes the RJD, Congress, and the 3 Left parties.“It is present communal cognition that I had written to the RJD leadership, expressing willingness for a tie-up. But nary effect came. Now, we indispensable bash each that we tin to grow our footprints. Yes, we are besides successful talks with like-minded parties to research the anticipation of a 3rd front. It volition each beryllium wide successful a fewer days,” Imam added.He besides argued that the Mahagathbandhan, which successful 2020 had accused AIMIM of splitting the “secular votes,”, tin truthful nary longer impeach it of being the BJP’s “B team.”

In the 2020 Bihar assembly polls, AIMIM had fielded candidates successful 20 seats, contesting successful confederation with erstwhile Uttar Pradesh main curate Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party and the now-abolished Rashtriya Lok Samata Party, headed by ex-Union curate Upendra Kushwaha, who has since floated a caller outfit, Rashtriya Lok Morcha, and merged it with the JD(U) successful the NDA.The Owaisi-led party, a authorities enactment based successful Hyderabad, Telangana, with a beingness successful a fewer different states including Bihar, had performed creditably, winning 5 seats and impacting Mahagathbandhan’s show successful respective different assembly segments.In 2022, however, 4 of the 5 MLAs joined the RJD, leaving lone Iman himself arsenic the party's sole legislator.Muslims relationship for astir 18 per cent of Bihar’s implicit 13 crore population, according to the 2022 authorities census.The elections for the 243-member Bihar assembly are scheduled for November 6 and 11, with ballot counting connected November 14.