AIMIM charts bold Bihar expansion, pushes for grand alliance entry
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Hyderabad: With the Bihar assembly elections slated for Nov this year, Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is signalling a strong intent to align with the Mahagatbandhan (grand alliance), comprising the RJD, Congress, and Left parties, and expand its footprint beyond Seemanchal.
Owaisi recently addressed two rallies in Champaran, wearing a tricolour turban and chanting 'Pakistan murdabad' and 'Bharat zindabad,' clearly seeking to reposition his image and appeal to a broader base.
Party national spokesperson Aadil Hasan pointed to the Congress party's tacit support for the AIMIM in the recent MLC elections in Telangana, where Congress MLAs voted for AIMIM's Mirza Riyazul Hassan Effendi.
"If Congress could back us in Telangana, why not in Bihar? It's a state election, not a national one," Aadil argued.
The AIMIM's earlier bid to join the Mahagatbandhan reportedly failed due to RJD resistance during the Lok Sabha elections. Questioning the inconsistency, Aadil said: "If the Mahagatbandhan could take back the Vikassheel Insaan Party, which was with the NDA in 2020, why not AIMIM?"
Akhtarul Iman, AIMIM's Bihar unit president, said they have conveyed alliance interest through MPs and MLAs.
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"No single party can take on the BJP-JD(U) combine alone. Like-minded forces must come together. The BJP uses communal narratives, but many opposition parties use Muslims merely as vote-banks. Owaisi stands against both," he said.
Sources said Owaisi's strong anti-terrorism messaging is central to this rebranding. In his Champaran rally, slogans of 'Aatank ke khilaaf, Owaisi ka jihad' (Owaisi's fight against terrorism) echoed across the grounds.
The party wants to counter perceptions that it caters only to Muslims and is aiming to field candidates from Rajput, Dalit, and other marginalised communities, analysts said.
In 2020, the AIMIM won five of the 18 seats it contested — all in Seemanchal. Four of those MLAs later defected to the RJD. Now, the party plans to contest nearly 50 seats across Bihar, with a presence in every region: Mithilanchal, Magadh, Shahabad, Bhagalpur, Patna, and Champaran.
"Our focus is still Seemanchal, but we are expanding. Owaisi will take the final call," Aadil confirmed.
With a renewed alliance pitch and broader caste and regional representation, AIMIM is betting on a bigger, more inclusive role in Bihar's political landscape, a senior analyst said.
The AIMIM has already announced Rana Ranjit, a Rajput from East Champaran, as its candidate for the Dhaka assembly constituency.
More non-Muslim candidates are expected, aiming to break the party's image as a niche outfit.
The party has been actively engaging with people across Bihar on core issues—flooding, high infant mortality, corruption, migration, joblessness, and human trafficking, especially in neglected areas like Seemanchal.
AIMIM leaders have also been meeting community groups, students, and farmers in different regions to build support from the ground up.
They argue that existing alliances have failed to address regional disparities, and the AIMIM's growing grassroots presence makes it a serious player in the upcoming elections.
In the 2020 polls, AIMIM was part of the Grand Democratic Secular Front, alongside the BSP and LJP. It won Amour (Purnea), Jokihat (Araria), and three seats in Kishanganj — though only Akhtarul stayed with the party. The rest shifted allegiance to the RJD.
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