'It's up to them': Owaisi keen on joining Mahagathbandhan in Bihar; says NDA must go
NEW DELHI:
AIMIM
chief
Asaduddin Owaisi
has expressed keenness to join the Mahagathbandhan alliance and contest the upcoming Bihar assembly elections together "to prevent the BJP-led
NDA
from returning to power."
Owaisi, however, said that he tried to enter the opposition alliance in 2020, but talks fell through.
"Our state president, Akhtarul Iman, has spoken to some leaders in the Mahagathbandhan and has categorically stated that we do not want the BJP or NDA to come back to power in Bihar. Now, it is up to these political parties that also want to prevent the NDA's return. Five years ago, I had also tried personally, but nothing came out of it," Owaisi said.
"This time too, our state president is making an effort. But it is up to them. We will be contesting elections in Seemanchal and outside Seemanchal as well. If they are not ready, I am prepared to contest everywhere. Wait for the right time — it is too early to announce the exact number of seats," he added.
Earlier, party state president and sole MLA Akhtarul Iman said that the party has conveyed its willingness to both
RJD
chief Lalu Prasad and the
Congress
leadership.
"We are waiting for their response. We are ready to bury the hatchet despite the fact that the RJD took away our four MLAs. We want to move past these issues to achieve the bigger goal of defeating the NDA," he said.
"Like-minded people must come under one umbrella if we are to oust the NDA from power in Bihar. The RJD and Congress might be interested in power, but our intent is to fight for justice," he added.
In the 2020 assembly elections, AIMIM altered the political dynamics in the state after winning five seats in the Seemanchal region.
The party contested 14 of its 20 seats in the state as part of the Grand Democratic Secular Front (GDSF) and won five: Amour, Jokihat, Bahadurganj, Baisi, and Kochadhaman.
The region holds strategic importance for the Mahagathbandhan's ambitions to form the government, as both the Congress and RJD have traditionally relied on strong support from the Yadav and Muslim communities.
Later in 2022, four of AIMIM's five MLAs joined RJD.
AIMIM was subsequently blamed by both the Congress and the RJD for splitting the "secular" vote.
The assembly election is scheduled for the end of the year, where a high-stakes battle is expected. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA)- consisting of the Janata Dal (United) led by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and the Bharatiya Janata Party — will face off against the Mahagathbandhan, which includes the Congress, RJD and Left parties.
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