AIMIM victory in Kishanganj dangerous for Bihar: Giriraj Singh

PATNA: Union minister and BJP’s Begusarai MP Giriraj Singh, who was under an unofficial gag order over his controversial remarks recently, sparked a controversy on Friday by terming Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM’s victory in the Kishanganj bypoll as “dangerous” for Bihar.
The AIMIM candidate, Qamrul Hoda, defeated BJP’s Sweety Singh in the October 21 bypoll by over 10,000 votes.This was the third straight defeat for the saffron party in Kishanganj, including in the recent general election.
Accusing Owaisi’s party of adhering to the “ideology” of Pakistan’s founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Giriraj tweeted: “Bihar ke upchunav mein sabse khatarnak parinam Kishanganj mein ubhar kar aaya hai. Owaisi ki party AIMIM Jinnah ki sonch wali hai. Vande mataram se nafrat karti hai (The most dangerous bypoll result has come from Kishanganj. Owaisi’s party believes in Jinnah’s ideology. It hates chanting of Vande Matram).”
Giriraj, who is known for his hardline Hindutva rhetoric, didn’t stop there. “Bihar’s social fabric is under threat. People of the state should think over their future),” Giriraj said in a series of tweets posted a day after the results of five assembly and one Lok Sabha bypoll jolted the ruling NDA.
However, the firebrand leader’s remarks did not go down well with allies as well as his own party. LJP MP Chirag Paswan said, “The victory of AIMIM candidate is the verdict of the people and it should be honoured. Nobody should question the people’s mandate. It should be accepted by all.”
Even BJP leaders of the state didn’t appreciate the Begusarai MP’s remarks. A senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member R K Sinha said, “He (Giriraj) should not make such comments. He should maintain restraint on such sensitive issues.”
Echoing a similar view, senior JD (U) leader K C Tyagi said, “He (Giriraj) is used to offering controversial statements to remain in limelight. It’s his old habit and should be taken in that context only.”
However, AIMIM is understandably jubilant over the bypoll outcome. “We are now planning to expand the party base outside Kishanganj, though we drew a blank in the six assembly seats we had contested in 2015. I am thankful to the people of the constituency, who reposed faith in us. We will try to live up to their expectations,” said AIMIM state president Akhtarul Imam.
Akhtarul, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2015 Lok Sabha election, managed to convince the electorate that AIMIM was the only option, which can give a befitting reply to BJP, which is banking mainly on Hindutva plank.
AIMIM’s victory in Kishanganj has also caught the attention of political pundits. “AIMIM will now try to project itself as the main rival of NDA in the Seemanchal region comprising Kishanganj, Purnia, Katihar and Araria. These districts have a sizeable Muslim population. If things go on expected lines, AIMIM will pose a stiff challenge to the ruling alliance in Seemanchal,” said Pramod Kumar, a political analyst.
Pramod, who had worked in Purnia for long, said AIMIM will primarily dent the Mahagathbandhan votes. “So it’s time for Mahagathbandhan to ponder over the developments taking place in Seemanchal rather than the NDA,” he added.
It is perhaps for the first time that the AIMIM nominee Hoda polled for over 70,000 votes. “No candidate had ever bagged such a large number of votes, which clearly suggested polarization of votes on religious grounds,” said Md. Imran who contested as rebel of the Congress.