AIMIM keen to join INDI Alliance in Bihar, says party MLA

Time of India

2 days ago

Patna: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (
AIMIM
) is willing to join the opposition INDI Alliance, the party state president and sole MLA Akhtarul Iman told this newspaper on Tuesday.
He said the party has sent a message to both
RJD
chief Lalu Prasad and the
Congress
leadership in this regard. "We are waiting for their response. We are ready to bury the hatchet despite the fact that RJD took away our four MLAs. We want to forget these things to achieve the bigger goal of defeating the NDA," he said.
Iman also said AIMIM does not want to be blamed for any split in secular votes. "Like-minded people must come under one umbrella if we want to oust the NDA from power in Bihar.
RJD and Congress might be interested in power, but our move is intended to fight for justice," he said.
When asked how many seats AIMIM would like to contest, the Amour MLA said, "This will not be a major issue. We will negotiate with an open heart and mind."
However, sources said the party of Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi wanted to contest all the 24 seats in the Muslim-dominated Seemanchal area comprising Kishanganj, Araria, Katihar and Purnia.
In the 2020 assembly elections, AIMIM contested 20 seats and garnered 14.28% of the votes polled to win five seats (Amaur, Kochadhaman, Jokihat, Baisi and Bahadurganj) in Seemanchal in alliance with BSP and the then Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) of Upendra Kushwaha. Later, four of its MLAs went to RJD.
Sources said RJD may be willing to give 8-10 seats to AIMIM in Seemanchal, but Congress and Left parties are opposed to any tie-up with the Owaisi's party. Iman said there was no negative response from either RJD or Congress so far. He indicated that the issue was being discussed in the RJD.