Akhtar-ul Iman: Nursing AIMIM hopes in Bihar

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Iman had come in third, but his 2,94,859 votes was impressive given the AIMIM’s newbie status against rivals Congress and JD(U). Months later, the AIMIM had won a bypoll to the Kishanganj Assembly seat, making a debut into the Bihar House.

Also read | Old hand, trusted by both Rahul, Ahmed Patel, is Congress choice for Bihar

Asaduddin Owaisi with Akhtar-ul Iman (Source: Express photo by Muzamil Jaleel)

After his 2019 poll performance, Iman had declared, “It is now time to explore and expand our base… We are not just a party of Muslims. We represent the Dalits and the poor.” While he has been raising issues concerning the Muslim community, his appeal for the youth lies in calls to change the system and to assert their rights, and his demand to improve the education and health status, and overall backwardness of Seemanchal.

Iman had been part of the campaign that led to the setting up of a study centre of Aligarh Muslim University in Kishanganj. However, seven years later, it continues to function out of a temporary building, with the land allotted by the Bihar government for a permanent structure situated in the flood-prone Mahananda region.

Seemanchal goes to polls in the last phase, and the AIMIM, which has declared its intention to contest 55 seats, is yet to declare its candidates. Iman is expected to get the ticket from Amour seat, making it a triangular contest including sitting Congress MLA Jaleel Mastan, and the JD(U)’s Saba Zafar.

Comprising Kishanganj, Purnia, Araria and Katihar, Seemanchal sends 24 MLAs to the Assembly. Kishanganj alone has five Assembly constituencies.

Iman denies the charge thrown at the AIMIM, including by the Mahagathbandhan, of helping the BJP by splitting the Opposition vote. In an interview with The Indian Express, Owaisi said, “Am I a hostage to other parties? I will contest because I believe in parliamentary democracy… Why have these parties arrogated this power to decide who should contest or who shouldn’t?

The AIMIM is contesting this time in alliance the Samajwadi Janata Dal (Democratic), Rashtriya Lok Samata Party and BSP — a signal by Owaisi that his is not a party exclusively for Muslims.