After its stellar performance in Okhla and Mustafabad constituencies in recently-held Delhi Elections, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen has set its eyes on Bihar Assembly Elections 2025, scheduled for November.

The Asaduddin Owaisi-led party fielded candidates in only two seats for elections held for the 70-member Delhi assembly. However, both of its candidates played crucial roles in deciding the results and shocked all political observers.

AIMIM Shocks Parties In Delhi Elections

AIMIM’s Okhla candidate Shifa Ur Rehman Khan, who is currently lodged in Tihar Jail, secured 39,558 votes.

He became the most important factor for this seat by securing more votes than the victory margin of AAP.

AAP candidate Amanatullah Khan won with a margin of 23,639 votes.

Manish Chaudhary of the BJP finished second with 65,304 votes.

Similarly, the AIMIM candidate from Mustafabad Tahir Hussain polled 33,474 votes, while BJP candidate Mohan Singh Bisht defeated AAP candidate Adeel Ahmad Khan by a margin of 17,578 votes.

Both Shifa Ur Rehman Khan and Tahir Hussain were arrested for their alleged role in the Delhi riots in 2020. They were granted interim bail for campaigning for Delhi Elections.

Did Muslims Vote For AIMIM?

Muslims constitute 12.9% of the electorates in Delhi and they have a decisive and significant population in Chandni Chowk, East Delhi, New Delhi, North West Delhi, South Delhi, and West Delhi.

Analysts believe, with these results, Asaduddin Owaisi has demonstrated his strength and sent the strong signal that his party can play a crucial role in deciding the results.

Asaduddin Owaisi-Led Party Sends Signals To Bihar

As the Bihar election is most likely to be held in November and the fault lines have already been deepened and the politics polarised, parties like the AIMIM has important roles to play.

The Asaduddin-led party won five seats in Bihar Assembly Elections 2021 and significantly eroded the support base of the RJD in the Seemanchal region, bordering Bangladesh.

Though four of the five candidates were from the RJD, which declined their tickets and they joined the AIMIM, they helped the party make inroads at least for a short period.

If the AIMIM decides to field candidates once again in Bihar, it is certain to damage the secular parties like Congress and the RJD.

AIMIM Sets Alarm Bells Ringing

Asaduddin Owaisi and the AIMIM have been accused of helping the BJP by splitting the Muslim votes, a charge they have rejected.

The party has already set the alarm bell ringing and it is up to the Congress and the Lalu Prasad Yadav-led party to chalk out the strategy to either counter the Asaduddin Owaisi-led party or accommodate it in the elections.