All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) on Tuesday scripted history after it won five seats in the Bihar Assembly polls. According to statistics provided by the Election Commission of India, AIMIM got 1.24 per cent of over 4 crore votes polled. Notably, the party had unsuccessfully contested the Bihar Assembly polls in 2015, securing less than 0.5 per cent votes.
After AIMIM's victory, Congress accused the Asaduddin Owaisi-led party of playing a role in cutting the Mahagathbandhan's votes. "BJP's tact of using Owaisi Sahab's party in the Bihar elections has succeeded to an extent. All secular parties should be alert about vote cutter Owaisi Sahab," said Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Choudhary. Congress leader Pawan Khera even went on to accuse Owaisi of radicalisation.
Meanwhile, Asaduddin Owaisi has hit back at the Congress party. Responding to their 'vote katwa' jibe, Owaisi said the Congress is blaming their failure in the Bihar Assembly polls on AIMIM's success.
"Congress is still shouting 'vote katwa' just as before. They've already started blaming their own failure on @aimim_national's success in #BiharElections," Owaisi tweeted.
"Here are the facts: - We contested 20 seats, won 5, MGB won 9 & NDA, 6 -On seats where NDA won, the victory margin was higher than our votes. NDA would have won regardless of our candidate. In other words, MGB failed to defeat NDA on these seats," he added.
Responding to the accusation of radicalisation, he said, "In Sherghati, RJD fielded a candidate from extremist Durga Vahini but still won. What does that say about radicalisation & 'vote cutters'?"
Meanwhile, buoyed by the results of Bihar assembly elections, the AIMIM is now looking to spread its wings to states such as Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. "I will fight in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and will fight every election in the country," Owaisi said.
Reacting to allegations that his party was dividing anti-BJP votes, Owaisi said he was running a political party that has a right to contest on its own.
"You mean we should not fight elections. You (Congress) went and sat in Shiv Sena's lap (in Maharashtra). If anyone asks why did you fight the elections... I will fight in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and will fight every election in the country...Do I need to ask anyone's permission to fight the polls," he said when asked whether the party would contest in any other state.
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