With the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, political activity is intensifying. The main competition is expected to be between the INDIA bloc, which includes the Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and the NDA, led by Nitish Kumar. Both alliances are putting in maximum effort. While Tejashwi Yadav is targeting the Nitish Kumar government, Rahul Gandhi has visited Bihar multiple times this year, focusing on attacking the BJP and appealing to Dalits, Muslims, and backward classes. However, several other parties are also preparing to enter the fray, potentially disrupting the established alliances.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), led by MP Asaduddin Owaisi, made a significant entry in the last Bihar elections, winning five seats. Though four MLAs later joined the RJD.
AIMIM is again preparing to contest the elections. Bihar AIMIM president Akhtarul Iman had proposed to the INDIA bloc to jointly contest elections against the NDA.
Speaking to the media, Akhtarul Iman said that they proposed to the Mahagathbandhan to contest the assembly elections under a united front against the NDA and the Bharatiya Janata Party, but they haven’t received any response. He stated that the party is preparing for the Bihar elections. AIMIM may contest the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections independently and challenge both the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan. AIMIM is also exploring the formation of a third front to offer an alternative, and is in talks with regional parties to do so.
This move comes as the Mahagathbandhan showed limited interest in AIMIM’s proposal to jointly contest elections against the existing NDA government. Iman, considered the ‘Junior Owaisi’ in Seemanchal, is a prominent leader in the region. He has a strong base in Seemanchal, among both Muslims and Hindus, due to their work for the region’s development.
Earlier, Asaduddin Owaisi had identified Iman as the right person in Bihar to decide on election participation. Regarding any talks with VIP party chief Mukesh Sahani, Iman said that he has heard Sahani’s statement, but there has been no conversation with him.
He also mentioned that the party is preparing to contest on 100 out of 243 assembly seats and will decide the number of seats based on mutual agreement if a third front is formed. In the 2020 elections, AIMIM won five out of 20 seats, all in Seemanchal, where the Muslim population is high. In 2022, four MLAs switched to the RJD, leaving AIMIM with only one MLA.
In the last elections, AIMIM allied with Mayawati’s BSP and Upendra Kushwaha’s RLSP, with BSP winning one seat.
Analysts believe that AIMIM’s increased presence could harm the RJD, as Muslims are traditionally RJD voters. If AIMIM contests independently or forms a third front, the INDIA bloc could face more losses, according to political analysts.