Buoyed by Bihar poll result, MIM plans to enter electoral fray in West Bengal

Hyderabad: Delighted with the outcome of the Bihar Assembly elections, MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi indicated that his party will enter the electoral fray in West Bengal next year. The MIM has four seats and was on its way to winning the fifth at 11.30 pm on Tuesday.

Speaking to the media, Owaisi refuted the allegation that by contesting the election the MIM had indirectly helped the BJP and its allies.

“We did not contest in Madhya Pradesh, but what happened there? I contested in Jharkhand and could not win a single seat,” Owaisi said. “I will contest Bihar, UP and West Bengal. In democracy, the voter is supreme. No one can hold the voters hostage.”

Asked if the MIM would join hands with the RJD to form government in Bihar, Owaisi said that the decision will be taken only after final results are declared.

“Our fight is for the development of Seemanchal (eastern Bihar) which is one of the most backward regions of India. I wish to thank the people of Seemanchal and will get justice for India’s most backward region. There are no educational institutions and the area is always affected by floods. Our MLAs will try to solve these problems. I would like to thank my allies Upendra Kushwaha and Mayawati,” he said.

He said he would go to the places where the MIM did not succeed and try to find out what went wrong. “I addressed 65 gatherings for candidates of Kushwaha Sahab's party, for BSP, and for my party too. Though we fielded Kushwaha Sahab as our CM candidate, we have exceeded our expectations.”

Contrary to criticism that the MIM candidates divide Opposition votes and help the BJP, the MIM defeated NDA candidates — one each from the BJP and JDU and Vikassheel Insaan Party — apart from two RJD nominees.

In other seats where the MIM fielded candidates, it did not halt the winning chances of other secular parties except at Raniganj. This showed that the presence of the MIM does not benefit the BJP and its allies, sources said.

The MIM, which had won Kishangunj in a bypoll last year, won from Amour, Kochadhaman, Jokihat, Baisi and Bahadurganj, where it had fielded Akhtarul Iman, Muhammed Izhar Asfi, Shahnawaz Alam, Syed Ruknuddin and Anzar Nayeemi, respectively. However, Kishanganj MLA Qamrul Hoda lost the election.

MIM workers celebrated the party’s victory outside Owaisi residence in Shastripuram and burst firecrackers.