Bihar Election results have started coming in and it looks certain that NDA is storming back into power. The Mahagathbandhan Alliance that tooted its own horn and was projected vociferously by the Lutyens media in the exit polls to lead the charge in the state has so far received a battering. RJD’s partner Congress which was supposed to take care of the Muslim vote bank has been dealt a considerable blow as Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has cut its vote share in several Muslim-dominated seats.
In Baisi seat of Purnia District, when the results came in last, BJP was leading with 23,992 votes whereas RJD was a distant third at 13,443 votes. Only if AIMIM had not been in the fray, RJD-Congress alliance would have got the 21,904 votes that AIMIM candidate Syed Ruknuddin Ahmad has polled so far.
Amour–another seat in the Koshi region of Purnia district has shown that AIMIM has agonizingly hurt the Congress party. INC fielded Abdul Jalil Mastan on the seat and till the reports came in last, he had only polled a minuscule 3,377 votes in his favour whereas AIMIM was leading at the seat with 19,831 votes. JDU which otherwise would have lost the seat to Congress is content on conceding the lead to AIMIM.
The biggest setback for Congress can be at the Araria seat where the contest is too close to call at the moment but the precious decisive votes which could have been Congress’s have gone to AIMIM. Congress (22,494) is currently leading BJP (22,237) on the seat by 257 votes. However, AIMIM has 3,194 votes and if the contest goes down to the wire in the later rounds of counting then Congress would be cursing AIMIM.
AIMIM coming in the fold was undoubtedly going to make Lalu Yadav’s successor Tejaswi Yadav and Congress queasy and going by the initial trends, that exactly has been the case. The 20 seats in the Seemanchal region on which AIMIM has fielded its candidates are Muslim dominated seats. In the Kishanganj bypoll last year, Congress had a taste of its own medicine. The seat was considered a Congress bastion but AIMIM breached it handsomely. Saeeda Bano, who was fielded as its candidate came third on the seat and lost her deposit. The winning of Kamrul Huda from the seat changed the political game of Kishanganj which is a Muslim dominated area.
A full picture of how AIMIM drowned Congress’ vote share on the electoral seats would be revealed after the final count, but, the initial trends are suggesting that Congress has been hard done by AIMIM.