Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM is actively seeking to join the INDIA bloc in Bihar, focusing on the Muslim-dominated Seemanchal region to consolidate secular votes and expand its presence beyond the five seats it won in 2020.
Despite AIMIM’s outreach, including an attempted meeting with RJD chief Lalu Prasad, the alliance prospects remain uncertain. RJD and Congress leaders express concerns about AIMIM’s growing influence and potential vote polarization.
With Muslims forming a significant voter base in 47 constituencies, AIMIM’s presence poses both opportunity and challenge for established parties. The party warns of forming a third front if excluded from the INDIA alliance.
As Bihar gears up for a high-stakes Assembly election, political equations are rapidly shifting. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), led by Asaduddin Owaisi, is positioning itself as a key player in the race for Seemanchal—a Muslim-dominated region comprising 24 constituencies across Purnea, Katihar, Kishanganj, and Araria.
In a bid to strengthen the secular front and avoid splitting votes, AIMIM’s Bihar State President Akhtarul Iman has publicly expressed the party’s desire to be included in the INDIA bloc. “We only want that secular votes should not be divided,” Iman stated, underlining the party’s strategic approach. He also revealed plans to contest up to 100 seats if excluded, hinting at the possibility of a third front.
AIMIM’s demand reportedly includes six seats in Seemanchal. However, resistance from RJD and Congress leaders remains firm. A senior RJD leader expressed fears of AIMIM carving out a separate political space within the alliance, undermining RJD’s traditional hold on the Muslim vote.
Adding to the friction is AIMIM’s past record. In 2020, the party won five seats in Seemanchal, but four MLAs later defected to the RJD—an episode that still fuels distrust. AIMIM has criticized the RJD for sidelining Muslim leadership, citing past instances like the rejection of Ram Vilas Paswan’s proposal for a Muslim CM in 2005.
