Assaduddin Owaisi finds partner in Bihar for assembly polls

PATNA: The All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) led by Asaduddin Owaisi has formed an alliance with Samajwadi Janata Dal Democratic led by former MP from Jhanjharpur, Devendra Prasad Yadav, to contest the upcoming Bihar election.
Announcing the new formation, christened United Democratic Secular Alliance (UDSA), at a press meet in Patna on Saturday, Owaisi hit out at the opposition for criticizing his party for taking a slice of their votes.
Both Owaisi and Yadav said they were ready to welcome other like-minded parties. “We will sit together and formulate strategy about the number of seats we will contest,” said Owaisi. His party had earlier claimed to contest 50 seats.
When asked about the allegations by RJD and other opposition parties that AIMIM intentionally contests elections to cut their votes and favour BJP, he replied, “This is their old cassette. In the parliamentary election, my party had contested three seats — Hyderabad, Aurangabad and Kishanganj. And we won two. What was the performance of RJD? Also, we had won Aurangabad seat against Shiv Sena, which was then the BJP’s ally, and Hyderabad against BJP itself,” said Owaisi, adding, “We are twinkle-twinkle little star. Who is responsible for the BJP government in Bihar? Let them put the blame. People are watching everything.”
Yadav said there was a need for tripolar politics in the country as well as in Bihar. He said their aim was to bring the deprived sections of the society into the mainstream. “We are open to welcome others with similar ideology,” he said.
He also said their alliance will not give tickets to any person with criminal background and dared the other parties to do the same. “We will work for corruption and crime free state and take out Bihar from the floods and drought it faces. In the past 30 years, all the sugar mills and several industries have been closed down and both big and younger brothers are responsible for this situation,” said Yadav.