Bihar: After induction of AIMIM MLAs, Tejashwi announces Seemanchal tour

A day after four All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) members of legislative assembly (MLAs) switched to the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar, leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Thursday said that his party has become strong in Seemanchal districts and announced that he will tour the bordering districts of Kishanganj, Araria and Purnea to take stock of the burning issues.

“I will soon hold a meeting with four MLAs from Seemanchal and launch an agitation for addressing the problem of perennial floods in the bordering districts as well as constitution of Seemanchal development commission. We have become strong in Seemanchal,” he said at a press conference at the party office in Patna, where the newly inducted four MLAs were also present.

A press statement issued by party’s spokesperson Ijaz Ahmed said that speaker of the state assembly Vijay Kumar Sinha has given his approval to the merger of four AIMIM MLAs today.

The four MLAs along with the RJD’s Tejashwi and state president Jagdanand Singh met Speaker on Wednesday to submit a letter announcing their decision to join the RJD . The break up in the AIMIM by four MLAs has reduced the Hyderabad-based party led by Asaduddin Owaisi with only one MLA in the state namely Akhtarul Iman.

Reacting on the break up in the AIMIM and merger of four MLAs in the RJD, Tejashwi said it was a welcome sign as it indicated how MLAs from other parties are joining his party despite it being in Opposition.

“We have increased our strength and also our vote share compared to the ruling NDA (National Democratic Alliance). Our party chief Lalu Prasad’s ideology is social justice ,secularism and empowering weaker sections as well as minorities. Seemanchal has a strong bond with Laluji and I will visit the districts to strengthen the party and address people’s issues,” the Opposition leader said.

The opposition leader, however, did not specify when will he visit the bordering districts of Bihar where Muslims have a formidable vote base and the AIMIM has gained considerable political clout in the last few years.

Meanwhile, there is a mixed reaction from different quarters on the AIMIM’s split in Kishanganj and Purnea. AIMIM workers and political experts in the region feel the party has gained foothold in the bordering districts and the split will have little impact on the party’s future plans.

“You can’t decimate AIMIM from Seemanchal as it has succeeded in broadening its base in rural and remote areas here,” a young AIMIM leader, identified as Md Nadim of Purnia, said. “MLAs may change their sides, people won’t,” he added.

“During a long agitation against CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act), the AIMIM became quite popular in rural and remote areas and the popularity is still intact,” said political observer, Prof Shubhankar Jha.

“The AIMIM has become a reality in Muslim dominated districts and everybody has to accept it,”he said. “Youngsters are now fond of aggressive politics and the AIMIM best suits them,” he added.

“We are doing our job and it is the internal politics of both the parties,” said a Purnia-based Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Binod Yadav.

On the other hand, RJD leaders are hopeful that merger of four AIMIM MLAs will help the party in the coming days. “The AIMIM has no future in Bihar and hence the MLAs preferred to join the RJD, which is best suited to them,” said Arun Kumar Yadav, an RJD leader of Araria. On the other hand, AIMIM’s lone MLA and state president Akhtarul Imam has accused the RJD of betraying the interests of minorities and weaker sections.

“They have betrayed us and I can say people will teach them a lesson in the coming elections,” said Iman.

( With inputs from Aditya Nath Jha)