Asaduddin Owaisi’s party, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), is working its magic in the Muslim-dominated Seemanchal region.
As the counting is underway in Bihar, Owaisi’s party AIMIM has emerged victorious in Seemanchal’s three seats – Kochadham, Jokihat and Amour – and is leading in two other seats. The AIMIM has even left the Congress behind by securing three seats as per the results available at 5:30 pm, while the Congress had won only a single seat at the same time.
Seemanchal includes Kishanganj (68% Muslim population), Katihar (45%), Araria (43%), and Purnia (38%). Bihar’s overall Muslim population is 17%, and a large share of it lives in Seemanchal, which has 24 Assembly seats. Last time, AIMIM had won five seats in this region.
What does the 3 PM data say?
This time, the Mahagathbandhan was leading in only three seats in Seemanchal (two Congress, one RJD), while the NDA had swept the area.
Out of the 24 seats, the BJP was leading in eight, JD(U) in five, and the LJP in three.
Just like in the 2020 election, the AIMIM has played a spoiler role for the Mahagathbandhan’s prospects of winning. It has divided anti-NDA votes in the Seemanchal region. Owaisi’s party’s performance in the elections was not enough to win the Seemanchal region, but was sufficient to hurt the MGB’s chances.
The NDA has outperformed expectations in Seemanchal, delivering a result that rivals its 2019 Lok Sabha leads. While the MGB had hoped for a strong showing in the region, it has fallen far short of its target as Owaisi’s party has cut through its votes.
According to the Election Commission’s trends of 3 pm, the NDA was leading in 14 seats in Seemanchal. These include Araria (JDU), Forbesganj (BJP), Narpatganj (BJP), Purnia (BJP), Kasba (LJP), Banmankhi (BJP), Rupali (JDU), Dhamdaha (JDU), Katihar (BJP), Kadwa (JDU), Balrampur (LJP), Pranpur (BJP), Manihari (JDU), and Barari (JDU), showing a strong performance across the region.
AIMIM, led by Asaduddin Owaisi, was ahead in six seats: Jokihat, Bahadurganj, Thakurganj, Kochadhaman, Amour, and Baisi.
These trends suggest that the Grand Alliance has been nearly wiped out even in the Muslim-dominated Seemanchal belt. This strong showing in Seemanchal is one of the key reasons the NDA’s overall tally has crossed the 200-seat mark.
Despite Mahagathbandhan’s CM face and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav promising the people of Seemanchal to invalidate the Waqf Amendment Act 2025 in July this year, the tactic hasn’t worked.