AIMIM Enters Bihar Rajya Sabha Race, Set to Field Its Own Candidate

Patna, Bihar: In a strategic move that could complicate Bihar’s Rajya Sabha elections, Asaduddin Owaisi’s party, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), announced it will field its own candidate for one of the five seats up for grabs.

The Bihar Assembly, which has 243 members, requires 41 votes to elect a Rajya Sabha member. Currently, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) holds 202 MLAs, enabling it to comfortably secure four seats. However, securing the fifth seat would require support from outside the alliance. The opposition, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal within the Mahagathbandhan, holds 35 MLAs and would also need additional support to win a seat.

AIMIM, which already has five MLAs in Bihar, along with one MLA from the Bahujan Samaj Party, is not aligned with any major alliance. Speaking to the media, AIMIM Bihar state president Akhtarul Iman said, “We are not here to merely support others. We aim to establish our presence in the Rajya Sabha, as no AIMIM representative currently holds a seat there.”

He added that the party seeks to empower those fighting for social justice and Dalit rights, signaling its intent to play a decisive role in the election. Analysts say AIMIM’s move could disrupt calculations for both the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan, especially regarding the crucial fifth Rajya Sabha seat.

The notification for Bihar’s five Rajya Sabha seats has already been issued, and political parties are now preparing for a complex electoral battle that could reshape alliances in the state.