- Bihar AIMIM chief Akhtarul Iman wrote to RJD's Lalu Yadav urging inclusion in the alliance
- Iman warned delay in decision on AIMIM's inclusion would be a missed opportunity for RJD
- Seemanchal region has significant Muslim populations, making minority votes crucial
The AIMIM in Bihar wants to join the Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) to put a united front and consolidate minority votes in the Bihar election scheduled later this year, sources said.
Bihar's AIMIM chief and MLA Akhtarul Iman has written a letter to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Yadav, asking to include the Hyderabad-headquartered party in the Grand Alliance, sources said.
In the letter, Mr Iman said fighting the election together will ensure "secular votes" are not scattered and the Grand Alliance will have a much better chance at forming the next government.
Mr Iman, however, also added that not taking a quick decision on including AIMIM in the Grand Alliance will be considered a missed opportunity for the RJD.
"We have talked to RJD, Congress and other parties of the Grand Alliance to join them. A proposal has been sent. We have told them to make a decision soon," Mr Iman said.
"If they don't, they should not say they want us to be with them after the election," said the leader of the party led by Asaduddin Owaisi.
Seemanchal will be a tight contest for minority votes. Kishanganj has 67 per cent Muslim voters, Katihar 38 per cent, Araria 32 per cent, and Purnea 30 per cent.
RJD's Tejashwi Yadav participated in the Waqf Bachao-Samvidhan Bachao rally in Patna's Gandhi Maidan, where he declared he would "throw the Waqf Act into the dustbin" if voted to power.
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders, including Giriraj Singh and Vijay Sinha, have criticised Tejashwi Yadav on the Waqf issue, calling it vote bank politics.
Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) national president and Bihar Minor Water Resources Minister Santosh Suman alleged the RJD-Congress alliance wants to polarise minority votes in Seemanchal.
"The purpose of Tejashwi Yadav's rant in Patna against the Waqf Amendment Act was not the protection of Waqf properties but appeasement politics. Congress-RJD can go to any level to polarise votes through communalism," Mr Suman said at a rally.
"Through communal polarisation, Congress-RJD are trying to get these votes while scaring the majority community," he added.
