MIM to contest polls in Bihar

This could be music to the BJP’s ears while at the same time ring alarm bells for Nitish-Lalu combine. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi has decided to field nominees in north-eastern part of the Bihar, popular as Seemanchal area.

These areas, which share borders with neighbouring West Bengal, are Muslim-dominated with the population of minorities varying from 30 to 70 per cent.

Owaisi, who held a rally in Kishanganj, which has 70 per cent of the Muslim electorate, lashed out at Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad and asked his fellow brethren not be carried away by “these opportunists who have done precious little for the Muslim fraternity and could not be counted upon in future to work for our larger benefit.”

Before Owaisi’s visit to the state, where he announced his party’s plan to enter the Bihar poll fray, it was widely perceived that the 16 per cent Muslim votes would entirely go with the RJD-JD (U)-Congress combine. But the Hyderabad MP Owaisi, whose party made a successful entry in Maharashtra Assembly elections last year, could spoil the Janata Parivar plan in Bihar. Sources said that AIMIM chief intends to field nominees in 25 constituencies in four Muslim dominated districts of Araria, Kishanganj, Purnia and Katihar.

Notably, NCP’s sole Lok Sabha member from Bihar Tariq Anwar represents Katihar. Incidentally, the NCP is miffed with the grand alliance of Lalu-Nitish and the Congress for leaving only three seats for the NCP out of total 243 constituencies in the state.