- Lalu Yadav's RJD has scored one of its lowest totals in Bihar assembly elections
- AIMIM's Waris Pathan has contended that the RJD's arrogance is responsible for its election setbacks
- AIMIM has been leading on six seats, splitting Muslim votes in the Seemanchal region
Lalu Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal, set slide to one of its lowest score in assembly elections, has been the target of much ridicule through the day. One of the sharpest jabs came from Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen).
Waris Pathan, one of the seniormost leaders of the party, declared today that it is the RJD's "arrogance' that has brought them to such a pass.
"In the beginning, we had gone to them and offered to contest together. But they were too arrogant," he told reporters today. Click here for Bihar Assembly Election Live Updates
AIMIM is currently leading on six seats, powered by the Muslim votes from Seemanchal. Their success is seen by many as the wedge driven into the heretofore solid Muslim support for the RJD.
Pathan disagreed. "The RJD and the Congress are themselves responsible for the division of minority votes," he said, reiterating that they were given the opportunity to come together "by seeking only six seats from the Mahagathbandhan, but they refused".
"First in Maharashtra and now in Bihar, they called us B team (of the BJP) and faced defeat and humiliation," Pathan added.
The AIMIM leader rubbed it in further, contending that the Grand Alliance had made a tactical error by declaring Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani as the Deputy Chief Ministerial candidate.
"They declared a man from a 2 per cent voter base of the Malla community (as Deputy Chief Ministerial candidate)... but the community with 19 per cent voter base was completely neglected and the results are visible," he added.
In Maharashtra, the BJP had declared a person from 14 per cent caste voter base the Chief Minister, he pointed out.
Pathan also expressed the party's dissatisfaction with Tejashwi Yadav's "extremist" comment for AIMIM chief Owaisi.
"Why so? Just because you saw beard and cap you call us extremist? Not only did Owaisis sab feel deeply hurt, all Muslims were offended. He should apologise to all Muslims," he said.
In a clip of an interview that AIMIM had shared on X, Tejashwi Yadav, when asked why the Mahagathbandhan did not let Owaisi into the alliance, purportedly said "extremists have no space here". A furious AIMIM chief had accused the RJD leader of "speaking the language of Pakistan".
The Opposition Mahagathbandhan is ahead in just 34 seats in Bihar, while the NDA has crossed the 200-mark in the 243-seat assembly.
