AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday (February 17) announced that the party is mulling fielding more candidates from the Seemanchal region of Bihar in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, in a move to expand its presence in the state. Owaisi also said that the party is planning to field candidates in two or three seats in Jharkhand in the general elections.
"We are planning to field candidates on more parliamentary seats from the Seemanchal region of Bihar in the coming Lok Sabha polls. In the last Lok Sabha polls, we contested one seat only in this region…and that was Kishanganj", Owaisi told reporters.
"This time…apart from Kishanganj…we are planning to field our candidates on three more seats. The final decision will be taken very soon. Besides, I met a delegation of our party leaders from Jharkhand also…we are also considering to field our candidates on two three seats in the tribal state also in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls", said the AIMIM chief, who is on a three-day tour of Seemanchal region of Bihar, which has a high concentration of Muslims.
"We are thinking to field candidates on more parliamentary constituencies because I know you (Bihar opposition) can't defeat the BJP... I want to ask Tejashwi what happened to our four MLAs? They have lost all credibility now... I appeal to you (people) to strengthen Majlis so that your voices can be heard in Lok Sabha as well and we stop PM Modi's dream of 370 seats," he added.
There are four districts constituting the Seemanchal region – Purnia, Araria, Kishanganj and Katihar.
Notably, Owaisi’s AIMIM is not a part of the Opposition’s I.N.DI.A bloc in the country, formed to remove the BJP from power at the Centre. The bloc, however, suffered a major blow in Bihar as Nitish Kumar walked out of the grand alliance and joined hands with the BJP. The alliance now comprises only RJD, Congress and the Left parties. With AIMIM planning to field more candidates in Seemanchal region, a multi-angular contest is likely on the proposed seats.
Owaisi on AMU campus in Kishanganj
Talking about the proposed Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) campus in Kishanganj, Owaisi said that the matter which is “still a non-starter” can “easily be resolved” if the central and the state governments take it seriously.
“The AMU campus in Kishanganj is still a non-starter…the BJP-led Central government and the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government are responsible for this. Administrative as well as technical hurdles in the construction of AMU campus in Kishanganj can easily be resolved, if both Central and state governments take the matter seriously,” he said.
"The construction work of AMU campus in Kishanganj started during the UPA regime and...stopped the work. Since then no efforts were made by the authorities concerned to pursue the matter", the Hyderabad MP said.
Owaisi attacks BJP
Earlier on Friday, the AIMIM chief addressed a public meeting in Kishanganj and alleged that “communalism is on the rise in the country ever since PM Modi's ascent to power and Muslims were being deprived of their due share in politics”.
"Communalism is on the rise. Narendra Modi has driven Muslim minorities away from politics," Owaisi had claimed.
(With inputs from agencies)
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