'Wrote 3 Letters, Still Called BJP B-Team': A Owaisi On INDIA Bloc's Snub In Bihar

The AIMIM was ready to join the INDIA bloc if it was given six seats to contest in the upcoming Bihar election, party chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi told NDTV. Mr Owaisi said his party has repeatedly reached out to the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leadership for an alliance, but never received a positive response.

Asked about his poll plans, Mr Owaisi said, "We will fight the election. (MLA and AIMIM's Bihar chief) Akhtarul Iman wrote two letters to Lalu Prasad Yadav and a third and last to Tejashwi Yadav. He wrote that we are ready to take six seats. You don't even have to give us a ministry if you come to power. Just set up a Seemanchal development board. What more can we do?"

The AIMIM had pulled off a stunner in the 2020 Bihar election, winning five seats in the politically sensitive Seemanchal region. Later, four of its MLAs switched to the RJD.

Hitting out at the Tejashwi Yadav-led party, Mr Owaisi said, "They say we are the (BJP's) B-team. When they took our four MLAs, nothing happened. When the BJP took Shiv Sena's MLAs, all hell broke loose."

The AIMIM's Bihar unit made a dramatic push for an alliance with the RJD last week. Its leaders reached Lalu Yadav's home and started beating drums and distributing posters outside the premises.

Akhtarul Iman said AIMIM has repeatedly reached out to the INDIA bloc members. "We even sent a message through RJD MLAs, but the advice we got was that AIMIM should not contest this time. Despite this, we are ready for an alliance, even with the party that broke away four of our MLAs," he said. Mr Owaisi said AIMIM has a responsibility towards Seemanchal. "There is anger, outrage. And the people of Bihar know that we were falsely accused of being a B-Team. Four days back, we beat drums and gave them our letter. They still can't hear us?" he asked.

Owaisi Slams India-Pak Cricket Match

Questioning the decision to agree on the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup match, Mr Owaisi said nationalism should not be just a poll slogan and pointed to the pain of those who lost their husbands in the Pahalgam terror attack.

"The Prime Minister had said, 'Blood and water cannot flow together'. But cricket match can happen? What message does this send to Pakistan? Do you think Pakistan will change? Whoever thinks this is a fool," Mr Owaisi said.

The AIMIM leader said he has no grievance with the cricketers. "We will always be proud of them. But questions are being raised about the Indian government. We always want India to win, but India should not just win cricket matches, but also the fight against terror."