Muslim Cap, Tilak on Forehead: AIMIM’s Hindu Nominee Lost Despite Chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’! Did Owaisi’s Strategy Backfire in Bihar?

It was anticipated that both parties would perform better this year and disrupt the dominance of the two major alliances.

However, AIMIM’s strategy appears to have flopped. Owaisi fielded candidates in 25 constituencies, but his move to nominate two Hindu candidates did not yield success. The party faced significant defeat in both the Dhaka (Rana Ranjit Singh) and Sikandra (Manoj Kumar Das) assembly constituencies.

Poor Showing in Dhaka Seat

In the Dhaka assembly constituency, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Pawan Kumar Jaiswal is leading, with the Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Faisal Rahman in second place. Jan Suraj Party’s Dr. L.B. Prasad is in third place, and AIMIM’s Rana Ranjit Singh is trailing in fourth place.

AIMIM Also Finishes Third in Sikandra

Similarly, in the Sikandra assembly constituency, the Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Uday Narayan Chaudhary is leading, while the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular)’s Praful Kumar Manjhi is second. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen’s Manoj Kumar Das is in third place, with Jan Suraj Party’s Subhash Chandra Bose finishing fourth.

Who is Rana Ranjit Singh?

The Dhaka assembly seat in East Champaran, Bihar, became a major talking point this election because AIMIM, despite the constituency being considered Muslim-majority, nominated Rana Ranjit Singh, who has a reputation as a staunch Hindu leader. Singh comes from a political family, being the son of former MP Sitaram Singh and the brother of former BJP Minister Randhir Singh. His presence during the nomination filing generated much controversy: he wore a Muslim cap, a tilak on his forehead, and a sacred thread on his wrist. Before filing his nomination, he chanted “Jai Shri Ram,” “Jai Bajrang Bali,” and “I love Mohammed.” The results, however, suggest that Owaisi’s attempt at religious convergence failed to sway the voters.