After BJP, GA rallies, Owaisi to hold padyatra in Purnia, Kishanganj

In Purnia, BJP leader and union home minister Amit Shah had addressed a rally in September last year while the mahagathbandhan, as the ruling alliance in Bihar is called, held a rally in February this year.

Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, whose party AIMIM had won five seats in the northeastern region of Bihar in the 2020 assembly polls, would be taking out “adhikar padyatra (foot march for rights of people) in Purnia and Kishanganj districts in the region on Match 18 and 19, his party’s state unit president Akhatarul Iman said.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi. (HT PHOTO)

In Purnia, BJP leader and union home minister Amit Shah had addressed a rally in September last year while the mahagathbandhan, as the ruling alliance in Bihar is called, held a rally in February this year.

There are four Lok Sabha and 24 assembly seats in the region, commonly called Seemanchal, which has a high concentration of Muslim population.

During the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, chief minister Nitish Kumar’s JD-U had won two seats while BJP and Congress had won one each.

Of the 24 assembly seats, BJP had won eight in 2020 polls, Congress five and JD-U four. RJD and CPI-ML had won one each. AIMIM had won five, four of whom joined RJD last year.

“Owaisi will undertake padyatra and visit some parts of Purnia’s Baisi and Amour and Kishanganj. The objective is to raise issues related to injustice to Seemanchal,” Akhatarul Iman said.

“Owaisi’s visit is going to directly affect the ruling grand alliance. A divided Muslim vote will be a cause of concern for the GA,” said Gyanendra Yadav, associate professor of sociology, College of Commerce, Patna.

AIMIM had fielded 20 candidates in the 2020 assembly elections, in which five won. His party got a total of 523,279 votes.

In the assembly bypolls held for Gopalganj and Kurhani seats last year, AIMIM candidate is said to cut into Muslim votes of GA and helped BJP win the two seats.