Patna: Following the Bihar Assembly results, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi directly criticized RJD chief Tejashwi Yadav, stating, “If we contest the elections in Seemanchal with full force, no one will say, ‘Mummy, Mummy, you snatched the chocolate from us.’” Although he refrained from naming Yadav, the remark sparked political discussions in Bihar’s Seemanchal region, where AIMIM made significant gains. Prior to the elections, AIMIM had requested six seats in Seemanchal as part of a potential alliance with the Grand Alliance, which Yadav declined, a choice that turned out to be detrimental. The Grand Alliance, which previously secured seven seats in the area, faced a major defeat this time.
RJD experienced its worst setback in Seemanchal, winning only one of the nine seats it contested out of 24—Raniganj in Araria, where Scheduled Caste candidate Avinash Mangalam achieved victory. RJD had fielded Muslim candidates in five of these nine seats and a Yadav candidate in one, but all of them lost. Congress contested 12 seats, securing four wins. In 2020, RJD had won a single seat—Thakurganj—but lost it this time to JD(U)’s Gopal Kumar Agarwal. AIMIM contested 28 seats statewide, fielding Muslim candidates in 25 and non-Muslims in three, ultimately winning five seats with a vote share of 1.85%. Notably, AIMIM also performed well in constituencies where they did not win, placing second in two seats and third in 14.
In Seemanchal, AIMIM reclaimed all four seats held by MLAs who defected to RJD after the 2020 elections, replacing all four defectors with new candidates who all emerged victorious. AIMIM’s Bihar strategist M. Jasimul Haque explained that the party shifted its focus from caste dynamics to local issues like education, roads, and development, responding to a politically aware Muslim electorate that seeks better representation, which mainstream parties have overlooked. He noted that AIMIM developed its local cadre organically, emphasizing that paid workers often vanish in Seemanchal, while they built a dedicated team that worked for two years without compensation.
Discontent among Muslims arose after RJD named Mukesh Sahni as the Deputy CM candidate without announcing a Muslim candidate for the position, a message that AIMIM effectively communicated to the grassroots. AIMIM’s organizational strategy mirrored that of the BJP, with senior leaders personally engaging with workers. Localized campaigns, street performances, door-to-door initiatives, and Owaisi’s frequent visits helped bolster Muslim support, leading to increased voter turnout in various Seemanchal areas. Three former MLAs who were denied tickets by RJD also lent their backing to AIMIM during the campaign. AIMIM achieved victories in several Muslim-majority constituencies, including Amour, Baisi, Bahadurganj, Kochadhaman, and Jokihat, with significant vote margins. AIMIM’s strike rate of 17.86% was comparable to RJD’s 18.18%, despite contesting far fewer seats.
AIMIM also disrupted the Grand Alliance in at least eight seats, where their vote share surpassed the winning margin. Political analyst Priyadarshi Ranjan described AIMIM’s achievements as a ‘magic victory,’ asserting that the party—rather than the individual candidates—dominates the political landscape in Seemanchal. Ranjan remarked that both RJD and Congress appear weaker than AIMIM in the region, noting that Prashant Kishor’s attempts to emerge as a Muslim-supported leader have been rejected by voters. After the results, Owaisi expressed gratitude to the Seemanchal electorate and reaffirmed his commitment to the region, a promise he has consistently made for the last five years.
