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AIMIM wins foothold and respect in Bihar politics, eyes key role
AIMIM national spokesperson Asim Waqar told PTI in New Delhi that a final decision on who AIMIM could back in case of a hung assembly would be taken by Owaisi, but ruled out supporting the BJP.
Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) seemed to have found a foothold in Bihar while most other smaller parties in fray were decimated in the Bihar Assembly elections on judgment day Tuesday.
The AIMIM had won four seats and was leading on another as per election commission’s data at 10:30 pm on Tuesday night. These seats are Baisi and Amour in Purnia district, Bahadurganj and Kochadhaman in Kishanganj and Jokihat in Araria district.
The performance has helped the AIMIM shrug the “vote katwa” (vote-cutter or spoilsport) tag, as its spokesperson said the results had given its critics a befitting reply. The party’s stellar show means it could have a role to play in government formation in the event of a photo finish between the NDA and the GA.
It was a big turnaround for AIMIM, which came a cropper in the last assembly elections in 2015. The party had contested six seats in the last assembly elections in 2015 and its candidates forfeited their deposits on five seats. Its candidate Qamrul Hoda, however, won the Kishanganj by-election later in October 2019.
The Congress had dubbed the AIMIM as the BJP’s “B-team” and accused the party of colluding with the BJP.
Congress spokesperson Rajesh Rathore Tuesday claimed that the AIMIM had harmed the Congress’ prospects. “Had it not contested, some of the seats it won would have come to us,” he said.
“It’s a test for the AIMIM now as it has to decide which side it will be, as it may have an important role to play in government formation, with the contest being close,” he added.
AIMIM national spokesperson Asim Waqar told PTI in New Delhi that a final decision on who AIMIM could back in case of a hung assembly would be taken by Owaisi, but ruled out supporting the BJP, asserting that his party’s fight has always been against the saffron party.
Bihar Election Results: Full coverage
The voters seemed to have rejected most smaller parties, part of the third and fourth bloc, as per trends available on the Election Commission of India website.
Former Union minister Upendra Prasad Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) and Janwadi Party Socialist (JPS), which were part of the Grand Secular Democratic Front (GSDF), along with AIMIM and BSP, were nowhere remotely close to the leaderboard.
The fourth bloc of the Progressive Democratic Alliance (PDA), comprising Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav’s Jan Adhikar Party (JAP), Azad Samaj Party, Bahujan Mukti Party and the Social Democratic Party of India, were also not in reckoning.
However, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) candidate from Matihani assembly constituency Rajkumar Singh and Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP)’s Md Zama Khan from Chainpur constituency in Kaimur led on one seat each.
The RLSP contested 104 seats, BSP 80, AIMIM 24, Janwadi Party Socialist 5, JAP 153.
Other smaller parties in the fray—the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Vikassheel Insaan Party-- both part of the NDA had put up a strong showing by winning 3 and 4 seats respectively. HAM(S) was also set to win a fourth seat as per the election commission’s website.
