LS Polls 2024: Owaisi's AIMIM may upset INDIA's math, likely to contest in UP, Bihar, Mumbai

Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM may upset the INDIA alliance's calculations as it has decided to field candidates on multiple seats in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Maharashtra. The AIMIM is planning to contest on as many as 20 seats in Uttar Pradesh and about 7 seats in Bihar, The Indian Express reported on Thursday.

The Congress and Samajwadi Party, part of the INDIA alliance, are contesting together in UP, while Tejashwi Yadav's RJD and the grand old party will be contesting in Bihar. It is believed that the AIMIM's entry may cut Muslim votes, that would otherwise go to the INDIA alliance. UP and Bihar together send 120 MPs.  

In Maharashtra, the third largest in terms of Lok Sabha seats, the AIMIM is likely to field its candidates in Mumbai and the Marathwada region.

Owaisi told the national daily that his party will fight in Hyderabad (Telangana), Aurangabad (Maharashtra) and Kishanganj seat in Bihar for sure. He said the party's Bihar unit wants to fight on more seats. "In UP too, there are similar demands. In Maharashtra, there is a call to fight from Mumbai and Marathwada. We will soon decide how many seats we are going to fight."

AIMIM's Bihar spokesperson Adil Hasan said that apart from Kishanganj, the party wishes to contest in Katihar, Purnea, Araria, Darbhanga, Madhubani, and Gaya, and is in talks with the BSP for an alliance, according to IE. He said the list had been sent to the party chief. "He will take a call. We want to have an alliance with the BSP." 

In Uttar Pradesh, AIMIM spokesperson Shaukat Ali said the state unit has made a proposal to contest 20 seats and sent it to Owaisi. In UP, the party wants to contest from Sambhal, Moradabad, Amroha, Bijnor, Saharanpur, Kanpur and Jaunpur.

Interestingly, barring Kanpur, all seats had gone to the BSP-SP alliance in the last general election. The Samajwadi Party had bagged Sambhal and Moradabad, while Mayawatri's BSP won Amroha, Bijnor, Saharanpur, and Jaunpur. This time, BSP has decided to contest solo. 

In the 2020 Bihar assembly elections, Owaisi's AIMIM won five seats in the Seemanchal region. However, the RJD later inducted 4 of 5 MLAs - a move that upset Owaisi.