While the NDA is locked in a heated battle in Bihar against the Mahagathbandhan, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury called Asaduddin Owaisi, president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), a “vote cutter”. Chowdhury said that the AIMIM was a “tact” of the BJP in Bihar elections. He asked all “secular” parties to beware of Owaisi.
#BJP‘s tact of using #AsaduddinOwaisi Sahab’s party in the #BiharElections has succeeded to an extent. All secular parties should be alert about vote cutter #Owaisi Sahab: #Congress leader #AdhirRanjanChowdhury. #BiharElectionResults #BiharElection2020 #BiharPolls @adhirrcinc pic.twitter.com/Sn5dX6kB7F
— The Pioneer (@TheDailyPioneer) November 10, 2020
As of now, Owaisi’s party has won one seat and is leading on four seat in Bihar. AIMIN had fielded Akgtarul Iman from Amour assembly constituency, Muhammad Izhar Asfi from Kochadhamam assembly constituency, Shahnawaz Alam from Jokihat assembly constituency, Syed Rknuddin from Baisi assembly constituency and Azhar Nayeemi from Bahadurgunj assembly constituency.
Chowdhury said that Owaisi has been used by the BJP to target the Congress. “We were assured of a victory in Bihar but then some smaller parties cost us. Owaisi’s party has played a role in cutting our votes, Owaisi has been used by the BJP to target us”, said Chowdhury. He added that BJP also used Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) to cut down the votes of Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United).
AIMIM has fielded its candidates on 20 assembly seats in Bihar. Congress had termed Owaisi party as BJP’s B-team before the final phase of voting in Bihar. Congress had questioned as to why AIMIM had fielded its candidates on 20 seats in Bihar while it had contested on 9 seats only in Telangana. It is not just Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury who is wary of Owaisi, Mamata Banerjee also appears to be particularly concerned about the AIMIM.
As the NDA was racing ahead of the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar earlier in the day, the opposition leaders have started coming up with creative justifications from declaring AIMIM BJP’s B-team to the usual EVM tampering.
