Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM to contest 32 seats in Bihar assembly polls. (file pic)

AIMIM Bihar, Bihar Election 2020: The AIMIM of Asaduddin Owaisi has announced that it will contest Assembly elections in Bihar, slated for October-November this year. The party has said that it will contest 32 seats spread across 22 districts.

The AIMIM has currently one MLA in the state. Kamrul Huda had won from Kishanganj seat in the by-election held last year.

“We have identified 32 constituencies across 22 districts where we will be fighting the assembly election. The Nitish Kumar government has failed on all fronts. It will be suicidal if Nitish Kumar returns to power,” Akhtar ul Iman, Bihar AIMIM president, said.

The AIMIM has a sizable presence in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The latest decision is seen as a part of the party’s attempt to expand its footprints in other states. This is the first major attempt by Asaduddin Owaisi’s party to make inroads in the Hindi heartland.

The party is buoyed by last year’s by-poll victory and is quite confident of a good show in the upcoming elections.

Iman said that he is hopeful of stitching an alliance with ‘like-minded parties’ to put up a formidable challenge to the ruling dispensation led by Nitish Kumar.

“We have been in consultation with several like-minded parties to build a strong alliance. We will soon make an announcement in this regard,” he said.

The seats on which AIMIM has declared to fight elections are Balrampur, Barari and Kadva (Katihar); Amaur and Baisi (Purnia); Jokihat (Araria); Keoti (Darbhanga); Samastipur; Bisfi and Jhanjharpur (Madhubani); Bochaha and Sahebganj (Muzaffarpur); Mahoba (Vaishali); Bettiah and Ramnagar (West Champaran); Dhaka and Narkatiaganj (East Champaran); Parihar and Bajopatti (Sitamarhi); Phulwari Sharif (Patna); Raghunathpur and Daraundha (Siwan); Birauli (Gopalganj); Sahebpur Kamal (Begusarai); Kahalgaon (Bhagalpur); Simri Bakhtiyarpur (Saharsa); Shahpur (Ara); Makhdumpur (Jehanabad); Imamganj and Wazirganj (Gaya); Aurangabad; and Chainpur (Kaimur).

The AIMIM, which has been working in West Bengal for the last one year, is also likely to contest the Assembly elections in the eastern state in 2022.