Reiterating that the AIMIM is open to a poll alliance with other Opposition parties in Bihar, party chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has taken a swipe at the INDIA bloc, and said, “no one should cry after the election and say, ‘Mummy, they stole our chocolate'”.
In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Mr Owaisi was asked if the AIMIM planned to forge an alliance or join the Mahagathbandhan led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress.
“Our state party chief, Akhtarul Imam, is trying. And I have asked him to try his best. No one should cry after the election, ‘Mummy, mummy, they have stolen your chocolate’. If they are ready (for an alliance), I am ready. I don’t want the BJP-NDA to return. But if they don’t agree, we would have to contest the election, right?” he said.
The ‘chocolate’ swipe appears to be aimed at Opposition parties that have often alleged that AIMIM is the BJP’s “B-team” and enters the poll contest to split anti-BJP votes and benefit the BJP.
The AIMIM leader said the party declared candidates for two seats, Bahadurganj and Dhaka, a month ago. “Our candidates are working hard. We will put up candidates in other seats too. They (Opposition parties) have to think (if they want the alliance or not). We will speed up our preparations. Our candidates will win, stay with the party and serve the people,” Mr Owaisi said.
Earlier, Mr Owaisi said he reached out to the Opposition bloc before the 2020 polls for an alliance, but nothing came of it.
The AIMIM can play a key role in the Bihar polls. Mr Owaisi’s support base in the minority community can potentially upset the Muslim-Yadav combination RJD relies on. Also, he has gained popularity over his public remarks in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor and this can potentially benefit the AIMIM in this election.
In the 2020 polls, AIMIM surprised by winning five of the 20 seats it contested. Four of its MLAs later joined RJD, but the poll performance still showed the party had gained political heft in Bihar. The AIMIM contesting separately has the potential to harm the Opposition alliance by splitting the minority vote, a key factor in the election.
The BJP-JDU is looking to retain power in the upcoming polls, as smaller allies such as Chiraj Paswan’s LJP (Ram Vilas) are posturing for a good seat-sharing deal. The RJD and the Congress, on the other hand, will be looking to return to power. Jan Suraaj, a political front led by former poll strategist Prashant Kishor, is also in the fight.