AIMIM eyes expansion, will set up hubs in all 38 districts in Bihar

PATNA: Buoyed by its stellar showing in the Bihar assembly election, the Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has decided to strengthen its base across the state by setting up committees in all 38 districts.
Hyderabad MP Owaisi has asked the AIMIM’s Bihar functionaries to ensure that the party builds organizational support in all districts.The process to set up the district-level committees has begun already.
The need to strengthen AIMIM’s organisation in Bihar was discussed during a meeting between Owaisi and the five newly elected MLAs of the party in Hyderabad recently. The MLAs were led by AIMIM Bihar president Akhtarul Iman, who won from the Amour assembly constituency, earlier considered to be a stronghold of Congress.
Sources within the party said due representation would be given to people belonging to all sections of the society in the district-level committees. They added that Owaisi had written to all the state-level functionaries of AIMIM on the need to increase the party’s support base in Bihar. As of now, AIMIM is limited to the Seemanchal region. It contested 14 out of the 20 constituencies in the region.
“Our popularity and support base in Bihar have both increased. This is evident from the results of the assembly polls,” said AIMIM spokesperson and youth wing state president Adil Hasan Azad.
The AIMIM bagged five seats in the elections. While Akhtarul Iman won from Amour, Md. Izhar Asfi was elected from Kochadhaman, Shahnawaz Alam from Jokihat, Syed Ruknuddin from Baisi and Azhar Nayeemi from Bahadurganj assembly constituency. The AIMIM fought the election in alliance with former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha’s RLSP and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati’s BSP.
The RJD and Congress, which have an influence among the Muslim population in the Seemanchal and the Kosi belt, have expressed concern over AIMIM’s growing clout in the area.
Senior RJD leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Shivanand Tiwari had earlier said AIMIM was single-handedly responsible for the debacle of the Mahagathbandhan in this region. He had also said the rise of AIMIM in the Muslim-dominated Seemanchal region, which comprises Kishanganj, Araria, Katihar and Purnia, would pose a serious threat to RJD and other secular parties.
Senior BJP leader Giriraj Singh had also said the rise of AIMIM in Seemanchal would not be good for social harmony.