‘Open To Alliance With RJD,’ Says AIMIM Leader Akhtarul Iman, Eyes Seemanchal Gains As Bihar Polls Near
AIMIM showed its strength by winning five seats in Seemanchal, in Amaur, Bahadurganj, Jokihat, Kochadhaman, and Baisi in the 2020 assembly elections
Published : September 13, 2025 at 9:22 AM IST
By Aditya Kumar Jha
Patna: With the Bihar Assembly elections around the corner, Asaduddin Owaisi's party AIMIM is once again preparing to enter the fray, trying for its fortunes in the Seemanchal and regions with a major Muslim population.
In an exclusive conversation with ETV Bharat, Akhtarul Iman, the state president of the party, said that AIMIM is open to an alliance with the main opposition party, RJD, in spite of the bad experiences with them.
“This election is a fight against corruption and communalism driven by BJP and the Nitish Kumar government. Removing them is necessary, which is why we are considering an alliance with RJD despite differences,” he said.
AIMIM showed its strength by winning five seats in Seemanchal, in Amaur, Bahadurganj, Jokihat, Kochadhaman, and Baisi in the 2020 assembly elections, giving a tough challenge to both NDA and Mahagathbandhan.The victory of five MLAs in the last Assembly election had come as a surprise for many political observers. But the party received a major jolt in 2022 when four of the five MLAs of the party in Bihar joined the RJD.
“Our party was not very strong in Bihar in 2019. But it won five seats in the 2020 assembly elections. However, after that, four MLAs were intimidated and broken. Even though the MLAs left the party, the people who made them win are still standing with AIMIMM,” Iman said.
Akhtarul Iman said that his party is prepared to contest 100 seats for the 2025 elections. Asaduddin Owaisi will come to Bihar and take a final decision on the number of seats. He added that the party is also trying to prepare a third front. “If a third front is formed in Bihar, the party can contest elections even on fewer seats,” he said. Responding to a query about alliance with Lalu Prasad Yadav's estranged elder son, Tej Pratap Yadav, Iman said that if he wants to join us and contest the elections, then talks can be held.
Akhtarul Iman strongly criticised RJD for calling AIMIM the BJP's B team. He said that it is like a disgruntled cat scratching the pole. “RJD has always kept the minority votes hostage. Now, when Muslims are demanding their share of rights, they are being called the B team,” he said.
The AIMIM leader said that Muslims and Dalits have been deprived of their rights in Bihar. The caste survey report shows that two lakh jobs of Muslims and one lakh jobs of Dalits have been cut. He said that those who call us the BJP's B team are actually responsible for the discrimination.
AIMIM called itself the most vocal opponent of the BJP. Akhtarul Iman said that no one raises as strong a voice against the atrocities on Muslims and Dalits as Owaisi and his party do. Be it the murder of Pehlu Khan and Junaid, or the Bihar Sharif riots. Secular parties remain silent on these issues while AIMIM openly opposes them.
Regarding SIR, Iman alleged that it is a conspiracy to reduce the vote of Muslims. The Election Commission is working at the behest of the government.
A large part of Bihar's 17.7% Muslim population lives in Seemanchal. The Muslim population here is 40 to 70 per cent. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Akhtarul Iman got 3 lakh votes in the Kishanganj seat. Out of 243 assembly seats in Bihar, there are 47 seats where Muslim voters are in a decisive position. In these areas, the Muslim population is 20 to 40 per cent or more. There are 11 seats in Bihar where more than 40 per cent of voters are Muslims. There are more than 30 per cent of Muslims in seven seats. Apart from this, there are between 20 to 30 per cent Muslim voters in 29 assembly seats.
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