Patna: The poll scene has turned very exciting in the third and final round of Bihar elections with Asaduddin Owaisi toiling to expand his party base beyond his home state of Telangana and the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) fielding party’s hardcore Hindutva leaders to checkmate the prominent Muslim face. The last phase of polling will be held on November 7.
Owaisi who is the president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has fielded its candidates on 19 seats out of total 24 seats in the Muslim-dominated border zone this time, aiming to increase his party footprint in Bihar. The party has also given ticket to as many as six non-Muslims in a bid to shed its Muslim tag.
In the last 2015 assembly polls, the AIMIM had contested elections on six seats bur drew a blank. This time, however, it is part of a Grand Secular Democratic Front comprising Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), Samajwadi Janata Dal-Democratic (SJD-D) and others, and hopes to make spectacular performances in this election. The AIMIM is already very high in spirits after tasting maiden victory in Kishanganj assembly seat during the by-elections held in October last year.
Dominant force
Observers say the AIMIM has, of late, emerged as a dominant force in the border zone having considerable Muslim population and is likely to pose serious troubles before the secular Grand Alliance which too banks on the same Muslim votes. The Grand Alliance comprises the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) headed by Lalu Prasad, Congress and the Left parties.
In his rallies, Owaisi is making fervent appeals to the voters to give his party a chance to allow it work for their betterment and shape up their future. “Today, poverty has become the fate of the people, they are burdened with loans and they have no money to even carry out treatment of your near and dear ones,” Owaisi tell the voters in his every rally, adding the whole situation had got complicated due to nationwide lockdown for some three months.
“(Narendra) Modiji enforced nationwide lockdown within four hours and said Coronavirus will go away within 21 days. He asked the people to only light lamps and beat plates,” Owaisi says as the masses cheer.
“He may not win too many seats but Owaisi has emerged as a major player in this election. His rallies are drawing good crowds as he is focusing on returning migrant workers, their pathetic condition and government’s failure to take care of them at critical time,” explains Mohammad Muzammil Haque, a college professor in Kishanganj district.
According to him, there are maximum chances of secular voters getting split due to Owaisi fielding good many candidates in the Muslim belt. “He shouldn’t have come but in democracy everyone has the right to contest elections,” Haque rues.
Another Muslim intellectual Abrar Ahmed says the masses are angry with the lockdown horror and want change. “But Owaisi sahib is splitting votes on many seats which will affect only the opposition alliance,” Ahmed says. According to him, the Muslim voters are divided between the opposition Grand Alliance and Owaisi.
Unemployment, migration, education and health are the key issues of the voters in the region. “People want change. The present NDA regime has been in the saddle for the past 15 years and the general masses are fed up with it,” said another resident Akhtar Hashmi, “But vote split will help the BJP”.
Muslim community
However, an unexpected trouble stares at the AIMIM. The BSP which is allied with the AIMIM has announced to “support to BJP to defeat Samajwadi Party (SP)” in Uttar Pradesh council polls and this message has not gone down well among the Muslim community. Many say voting for the AIMIM is, thus, like indirectly supporting the BJP. It’s to be seen now how the general Muslim voters react to BSP chief Miss Mayawati’s observation.
Other Muslim intellectual say the Muslim voters are in a dilemma over Grand Alliance chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav’s one million job promise to voters, chief minister Nitish Kumar’s pro-development image and also Owaisi raising the pitch for Muslims’ development.
The overall electoral scene has turned further curious with the BJP fielding hardcore Hindutva leaders, such Yogi Adityanath and federal minister Giriraj Singh to polarise the Hindu voters in the third phase. As part of the strategy, UP chief minister told election rallies that those who violate security of the country would be expelled, referring to Bangladeshi infiltrators.
Yogi’s move promptly was countered by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar who said none had guts to throw anyone out of the country in his attempt to soothe frayed tempers of Muslim voters. “Who will drive out whom from the country... no one had the courage... everyone is from India,” Kumar told an election rally in Kishanganj on Wednesday. Kumar again wondered, “Who does all this malicious campaigning? Who utters all this non-sense?”
It’s to be seen now as to which way the Muslim voters go.
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