Bihar polls: Asaduddin Owaisi unlikely to get Muslim votes

PURNIA/KATIHAR: "Wu kaun? Wu Hyderabadi? Uska yahan kya kaam? (Who's he? That Hyderabadi? What's he here for?)," wonders Mohd Sauraf Alam, 53, of Katihar's Pawai village. He was responding to a question on Asaduddin Owaisi's decision to put up candidates in most Seemanchal seats mainly comprising Katihar, Purnia, Kishanganj and Araria.

Alam isn't the only one dismissive of Owaisi's party, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), having any influence in the 24 assembly constituencies collectively comprising over 40% of the Muslim population. Many Muslims here dismiss him as a virtual nonentity in the poll arena.

Tell them that he's a Lok Sabha MP and has been in-fluential among Muslims, not just in Hyderabad but also in Maharashtra and other states, and the response is: "Bhai sahab, ye Bihar hai. (Brother, this is Bihar). We won't vote for such a vote katua (spoiler who gets votes divided). We aren't fools. We won't let NDA candidates win because of Owaisi," says Abu Sadan, a 37-year-old teacher at a private coaching institute in Purnia town.

Won't they attend his rallies? "We'll go. He speaks well and makes sense. But, why should we vote for him," asks Ali Raza, 19, a student from Abu Sadan's coaching institute.

So, who will Muslims vote for? Everyone TOI talked to in Purnia, Katihar and Kishanganj — in remote villages and towns — said they'll go for Mahagathbandhan nominees because of Nitish Kumar. They don't hide their displeasure over Lalu Yadav's tenure when Seemanchal Muslims remained just as neglected as during the pre-1990 Congress rule.

Clearly, this is shaping up to be a fight between the BJP-led NDA and the grand alliance. And, Owaisi seems to be emerging as a consolidating factor for Nitish, unlike the perception among certain sections outside Bihar that the presence of the Hyderabad MP in Seemanchal would help BJP.

All 24 Seemanchal constituencies go to the polls in the last phase on November 5. Four of these 24 are reserved (3 SCs and 1 ST). The region, bordering Nepal in the north and West Bengal in the east, has four Parliamentary seats. All of them went to non-NDA parties in the last LS polls.

Though BJP is banking on a consolidation of Hindu votes, the result will depend on the choice of candidates, for castes continue to play a key role.

Upper castes and the business community seem to be with BJP, but OBCs and others remain divided.