AIMIM's Expansion Plan: Owaisi's Party Likely To Contest 20 Lok Sabha Seats In Bihar, Seven In Uttar Pradesh

Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is planning to contest more seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections than it contested in 2019, creating challenges for INDI Alliance in getting minority votes.

“We will fight in Hyderabad (Telangana), Aurangabad (Maharashtra) and Kishanganj (Bihar) for sure. Our Bihar unit wants to fight for more seats. In Uttar Pradesh too, there are similar demands," Owaisi told Indian Express.

Currently, AIMIM has two MPs, Owaisi from Hyderabad and Imtiaz Jaleel from Aurangabad. It contested in Kishanganj too and got 3 lakh votes but came third behind the Congress and Nitish Kumar's JD(U).

While Akhtar-ul-Iman lost in the 2019 elections, the AIMIM is likely to nominate him again from Kishanganj for the Lok Sabha elections. Overall, it is planning to contest 20 of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar.

Katihar, Purnea, Araria, Darbhanga, Madhubani and Gaya are under consideration for Bihar and the candidate list has been sent to Owaisi. Talks for an alliance with the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are also ongoing.

In Uttar Pradesh, the AIMIM wants to contest seven seats. It will be its electoral debut in Lok Sabha from the state. However, it had contested local body elections earlier in the state in 2017 and won 32 seats.

These seven seats are of Sambhal, Moradabad, Amroha, Bijnor, Saharanpur, Kanpur and Jaunpur. BJP has already declared candidates for Sambhal, Amroha and Jaunpur, while its ally RLD will contest from Bijnor.

Owaisi said that in Maharashtra, there is a call to fight from Mumbai and Marathwada. In Telangana also, the party is looking to expand by contesting Secunderabad. However, AIMIM will stay away from West Bengal.