While the NDA has stormed back to power in the Bihar Assembly polls, decimating the Opposition Mahagathbandhan, the Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM has held its ground in the Muslim-dominated Seemanchal region, winning five seats – just one less than the Congress. The AIMIM had also won five seats in the 2020 Bihar elections, but four of its MLAs had subsequently defected to the RJD. In an interview with The Indian Express, Owaisi speaks on a range of poll-related issues, including why Seemanchal has reposed its faith in his party. Excerpts:
Q: You were widely written off in the Bihar polls, yet the AIMIM won five seats in Seemanchal. What did the mainstream parties fail to grasp about the region that you understood?
It so happened that when last time we won in Seemanchal, they (Mahagathbandhan) broke away four of our MLAs. They thought this will finish us. At that time too I had said the votes we have got are on the party symbol and not because of an individual or candidate. After that we had Akhtarul Iman (the then lone AIMIM MLA) sahab who kept raising people’s issues in the Assembly. Our cadres were also active on the ground. Even in Lok Sabha polls, Iman sahab got more than two lakh votes.
It is only us who are fighting for Seemanchal. All other parties have contributed to destroying the region. We have created a space in the hearts of the people and we will be there. That is why we won five and lost Balrampur by just 350 votes. Of the four MLAs that left us, RJD gave ticket to one from Jokihat. He lost his deposit. The credit goes to our state party unit and the people of Seemanchal.
Q: It is common understanding that Muslims consolidate behind the Opposition parties to defeat the BJP. But in Seemanchal, why have they rallied round you instead of bigger secular parties?
First, people have no confidence in them (Opposition parties). They are ashamed of mentioning Muslims. They would speak of Muslims only when they had to abuse us. That is why the people supported us.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, they were successful because of the Constitution issue. During the Assembly polls, we were telling people why justice has not been done to Seemanchal. Why a strategic area of the country is underdeveloped? There was a lot of local corruption which we spoke about. What resonated with the people was that only we were talking about local issues of Seemanchal. These people (Mahagathbandhan leaders) were doing akashvani (big talk).
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We then raised the issue of Muslim leadership. When all sections of the society can have leadership, why not Muslims? The biggest caste in Bihar is Muslims. If you take out the upper caste Muslims, they are 15%. Yadavs are 14%, but they get 36% of your tickets. Muslims get the lollipop. BJP does not even give tickets to Muslims, while the JD(U) has fielded only two. So, are Muslims only voters? We are telling people to become citizens with rights, only then the discrimination against you will stop. And we have been doing this for the past 11 years, and people are now rewarding us for that.
Q: The RJD refused to ally with the AIMIM, fearing it would alienate Hindu voters. How do you look at such a bid by the “secular” parties to seek Muslim votes but avoid visible Muslim leadership?
This too is Hindutva. I don’t discriminate between soft Hindutva and hard Hindutva. You (RJD) have no qualms about distributing caste-wise tickets. You are not scared there that this will benefit the BJP. Congress also gave tickets to all castes. But they are not ashamed there. You don’t tell those castes that if you don’t vote for us the BJP will come to power.
Are we (Muslims) bonded labourers? Do we have some kind of responsibility upon us that we keep our houses dark, destroy the future of our children, and build the palace of you power? And why is the responsibility of stopping the BJP juggernaut on Muslims? As for their argument that they won’t get Hindu votes if they align with me, I want to ask what have they got now?
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Q: You campaigned strongly on the issue of Muslim representation. How much do you think this message contributed to your success in Seemanchal?
You are only quoting a part of my speeches. I have been talking about Seemanchal’s per capita income, the discrimination against the region… look at all the IIITs, AIIMS and sports complexes… all were built around Rajgir and Patna. We quoted Bihar government data to show that 50% Muslims are below the poverty line. Seemanchal has highest number of anaemic kids. Kishanganj’s 50% area is flood prone. Migration begins at 16 years of age in this region. In Baisi, illegal organ transplant involving children is happening. Farmers have no market to sell produce. We have talked about issues that impact the people.
Q: Is your party’s appeal still confined to identity politics, or do you see a broader ideological or developmental constituency emerging in Bihar?
I agree with the latter part. What have other parties who earlier got elected from these constituencies have done? What have the RJD with its “M-Y” politics, JD(U) with its EBC politics or the BJP with its upper caste politics done? How is their politics pure and not mine? When the Constitution talks about equality, it is not formal equality, it is substantive equality. To ensure that you have to make sure that Muslims progress. Until you do that, how do you realise the dreams of our forefathers who drafted the Constitution.
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Q: Your critics say your party splits the anti-NDA vote and ultimately helps the BJP. How do you respond to Seemanchal voters who worry that the AIMIM’s gains weaken the broader Opposition?
There is a churn in the Muslim community. There is a yearning for someone to raise their voice, for having their leadership. For me, Akhtarul Iman, Gulam Sarwar and Adil Hasan are leaders there, not me. So, the leadership is coming up. To the allegation of being a “vote-cutter”, I say the Lok Sabha has 540 seats, how many do we contest? Since 2004, has RJD formed a government in Bihar? You should not underestimate the intelligence of people. We work on the ground. Should I sit at home because someone is making allegations? And what will they say? On 12 seats they were doing “friendly fights”.
Q: Seemanchal has long suffered from underdevelopment. What is your roadmap for the region, and how will you hold the state government accountable?
Our MLAs will take up the issues of the region with the government. We will try to get the stalled works completed. That is why we have said we are ready to give constructive cooperation to the Nitish Kumar government. We have to address issues of flood erosion, building of embankments, bridges, schools. In the entire Seemanchal, there is only one degree college. We need Vande Bharat trains connecting Seemanchal with Patna and Delhi. We need hospitals.
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Q: With the RJD struggling under the shadow of its past tenure and the Mahagathbandhan failing to consolidate Muslim votes, do you see the AIMIM becoming a permanent pole in Bihar politics?
Those who oppose the AIMIM say that in 2020, Owaisi delivered inciting speeches and garnered electoral benefits. We are permanent and we will always be there. There is no question of stepping back. We are going to strengthen the party further and expand it. We will correct the mistakes that we have made earlier and work on our weaknesses.