The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has given the cold shoulder to Hyderabad MP
and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi’s overtures to Mahagathbandhan (Grand
Alliance), expressing his party's desire to be part of the opposition alliance in
Bihar for the upcoming assembly elections.
Owaisi had earlier written to RJD chief Lalu Prasad urging for unity among
secular parties to avoid vote division, especially in regions like Seemanchal
where AIMIM holds some influence.
Responding to the Owaisi’s proposal, RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari said
AIMIM chief’s track record showed that his party often contested elections in
ways that benefited the BJP.
"AIMIM has worked as BJP's B-team, helping the saffron party gain advantage.
This time, no one will fall for any deception," Tiwari said, adding that there
would be no fragmentation of secular votes.
Leader of Opposition in Bihar assembly and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav's
tsunami was already underway in Bihar, Tiwari said.
RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha was even more blunt in his response to
Owaisi. He said if the AIMIM chief genuinely wanted to defeat “the BJP and its
divisive politics”, he should refrain from contesting the Bihar elections
altogether. “Not contesting is also a political strategy. Owaisi and his advisors
are well aware of that,” Jha said.
At present, AIMIM has only one MLA in Bihar - Akhtarul Iman, who has been
publicly advocating for joining the Mahagathbandhan comprising RJD,
Congress, Left parties, and VIP. In the 2020 assembly elections, AIMIM had
won 5 seats as part of the Grand Democratic Secular Front, but later four of its
MLAs joined the RJD, leaving only Iman with the AIMIM.
Although current indications suggest a cold response to Owaisi's overtures, the
final decision on AIMIM's proposal will be taken collectively by Lalu Prasad,
Tejashwi Yadav and top Mahagatbandhan leaders,