‘Not responsible for vote split’: AIMIM claims INDIA bloc denied request for 6 seats in Bihar polls

Hyderabad: Seemanchal Nyay Yatra of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has heated the political atmosphere in Bihar.

AIMIM claimed that they approached the INDIA alliance for six seats but were denied and must not be blamed for the split in the secular votes.

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and All India Congress committee members are also in Bihar for the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting but have maintained a stoic silence on the claims of AIMIM.

Why is INDIA alliance cold towards AIMIM?

In 2020, AIMIM secured five seats in the Muslim majority Seemanchal region. The party had contested 25 seats in 2020.

However, four MLAs defected to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), leaving AIMIM with only one seat in the Bihar Legislative Assembly.

From July onwards, the AIMIM Bihar unit has been in constant touch with RJD leaders, and they have asked for the six seats of the Seemanchal region.

The Bihar unit of AIMIM Adil Hasan said, “We are strong in the Seemanchal region and we must be given our due. We initiated talks with the INDIA alliance, but they are not willing to recognise us.”

Seemanchal Nyay Yatra

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has started a Seemanchal Nyay Yatra from September 24 to 27.

The aim of the yatra is to meet people in the region, which is largely Muslim and Dalit-dominated.

Hasan said, “Whenever the Patna government wants money from the World Bank, they show the pictures of the Seemanchal region. But not a single penny is spent in the region. All the money remains in Patna only. This is a grave injustice to the people of the Seemanchal region.”

The four districts of the Seemanchal region are Muslim dominated. Kishanganj has the highest Muslim population at 68 per cent, Katihar 44 per cent, Araria 43 per cent and Purnia 38 per cent according to the national census of 2011.

On his first day in Kishanganj, Asaduddin Owaisi, in a public rally, said, “We are servants of poor people of Seemanchal. We want you should decide about your future. Over the last 60 years, the fate of the people of Seemanchal has been decided by someone sitting in Patna. But this won’t happen now. People of Seemanchal will decide for themselves.”

Congress Working Committee pitches for progress

Senior leaders of the Congress party who are in Patna have maintained a stoic silence on the outbursts of the Bihar AIMIM and Asaduddin Owaisi.

A senior Congress leader, on condition of anonymity, said, “There have not been discussions as portrayed by AIMIM. RJD is the INDIA alliance partner and AIMIM approached them. Till now, no decision has been taken.”

Split of votes

Senior Congress leaders state that votes are to be split, but if RJD is not comfortable with AIMIM, they would not take it up.

A senior Congressman explained, “RJD lost its vote bank in the Seemanchal region due to the entry of AIMIM.”

No religious polarisation

The Congress party, in its meeting, has stated that the people of Bihar do not want religious polarisation.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “People of Bihar want employment, progress and control over inflation. They want change. They do not want religious polarisation.”

Kharge dwelled on the Special Intensive Revision in Bihar and said that the exercise is to disenfranchise Dalits, Adivasis, backwards and extremely backward classes and minorities.

Notification after Diwali

The Bihar elections notifications are to be given after Diwali, but the fight has already begun for the vote share in the State.