Patna: The results of Bihar’s assembly elections have shown a decisive victory for the NDA, which is poised to establish the new government on November 20. However, beneath the surface of these overall results lies a development that has ignited discussions among political analysts: Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) garnered nearly the same percentage of votes as the ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) option. According to the Election Commission’s data, AIMIM achieved 1.85% of the total votes, while NOTA received 1.81%. This slim margin has garnered attention for its implications regarding voter attitudes and dissatisfaction with mainstream political entities.
An AIMIM representative remarked that the similarity in vote shares was “not just statistical,” indicating that those who voted for the party or opted for NOTA were voicing a collective discontent. Both categories of votes, they claimed, signify frustration with the existing political environment. Notably, several established parties such as the CPI, CPI(M), Mayawati’s BSP, and Sharad Pawar’s NCP received fewer votes than NOTA. Analysts suggest that the decline of these traditional parties merits closer scrutiny. Observers have pointed out that the NCP’s impact in Bihar has sharply waned following the departure of senior leader Tariq Anwar. In addition, the CPI, CPI(M), and BSP—each with a long-standing presence in the state—performed unexpectedly poorly.
The fall of the CPI is particularly notable; once a dominant entity in Bihar’s political arena, the party has been gradually losing support, raising concerns about its future significance in the state.