Election fever has gripped Bihar and there seems to be a neck-on-neck contest. In such a scenario, will the Muslim community, which forms 18% of the state's population, play a decisive role? Muslims in Bihar were perceived to be voting en bloc for the Mahagathbandhan alliance of RJD and the Congress, but will that see any change in the Bihar Assembly election 2025 with a change in certain political factors?
advertisement
This year, an upbeat Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), which won five seats in 2020, and poll strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor (PK)'s Jan Suraaj, are in the fray. Will this make things tough for the RJD-Congress combine, which the Muslim community has been known to back?
Will the Muslims, 2.3 crore strong, vote differently this time? What would be the community's impact in Seemanchal, where the AIMIM left a mark in 2020? Will they stay with the Mahagathbandhan or side with Owaisi's AIMIM? Or will Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj be successful in wooing the community with his "alternative model of governance" and the "40-20" strategy?
Voting for the 243-seat Bihar Assembly will take place in two phases on November 6 and 11, and the results will be declared on November 14.
Continue Reading on India Today
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.