AIMIM to contest Bihar polls alone, names 17 candidates
HYDERABAD: The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has decided to contest the Bihar Assembly elections on its own after efforts to join the Congress Rashtriya Janata Dal-led Mahagathbandhan alliance failed.
Bihar AIMIM president Akhtarul Iman said the party would contest nearly 100 constituencies five times more than in the previous elections and has already finalised candidates for 17 seats.
The party has also initiated talks with like-minded regional outfits to explore the possibility of forming a third front as an alternative to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Mahagathbandhan.
Focus on Seemanchal region
The AIMIM is focusing its campaign on the Seemanchal region, where it has a strong organisational base. The party said it had offered to align with the Mahagathbandhan if six seats were allotted to it, but will now contest independently if that offer is not honoured.
Party chief Asaduddin Owaisi said AIMIM would field candidates across Bihar if no alliance is formed. After expanding to Maharashtra and Telangana, the party sees Bihar as a key state for organisational growth.
AIMIM first contested in Seemanchal in the 2015 Assembly elections, fielding candidates in six seats. In 2020, it contested 20 seats and won five, surprising political observers. Four of its MLAs later joined the RJD, leaving Akhtarul Iman as the only AIMIM legislator.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, AIMIM contested eight seats but failed to win any. The party is now sharpening its strategy to consolidate the Muslim vote, which accounts for over 17% of Bihar’s population.
Owaisi has recently toured the Seemanchal region to boost cadre morale. Opposition parties have accused AIMIM of splitting secular votes to the benefit of the BJP, a charge the party has dismissed, saying it is not a “B team” of any coalition.
