Ahead of the Lok Sabha election this year, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Chief Asaduddin Owaisi is set for a two-day visit to the Muslim-dominated Kishanganj district in Bihar this month.
His arrival would ring the alarm bells for the opposition Grand Alliance or ‘Mahagathbandhan’ in Bihar.
Akhtarul Iman, the lone AIMIM MLA in Bihar and State party President, said that Owaisi will arrive in Kishanganj on February 16.
The AIMIM Chief will stay in Kishanganj on February 17 as well and visit a number of Assembly constituencies in several places of the district to influence Muslim votes.
Owaisi’s led AIMIM has opted for a policy to not align with any of the Opposition INDIA bloc parties in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
AIMIM had performed well in the 2020 Bihar Assembly election and won five assembly seats but more than that it had dealt a severe blow to the Mahaghatbandhan in Seemanchal region.
The AIMIM had played a role of “vote Katwa” (one who divides votes) on more than 20 Assembly seats in Kishanganj, Araria, Purnia and Katihar districts. That could be the reason why RJD-led Mahagathmandhan failed to form the government at that time. RJD however managed to break AIMIM and included four of its MLAs later on.
Muslim community is a core vote bank for the RJD and Congress but AIMIM cut into their votes.
The RJD and Congress leaders knew the Owaisi factor in Seemanchal region from their previous experience and if AIMIM would repeat the performance of 2020 Bihar Assembly election in 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the life of Mahagathbandhan leaders would become difficult.
On the other hand, BJP always contests elections minus Muslim votes and the presence of Asaduddin Owaisi suits the leaders of saffron party as his party cuts the votes of the Mahagathbandhan. However, it would be interesting to see the approach of JD-U, which is also influencing Muslim voters.
