Nitish responsible for making BJP stronger in Bihar: Owaisi

Mr. Owaisi apologised to the people of the Seemanchal region after four out of five AIMIM MLAs joined the RJD last year, accusing Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav of poaching his MLAs

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi on March 18 attacked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and blamed him for making the BJP stronger. The Hyderabad MP made the statement while addressing a public meeting at Bayasi in Purnea district of the Seemanchal region, while on a two day visit to Bihar to launch an Adhikar Yatra in the run-up to next year’s parliamentary polls.

“If the Chief Minister in power says that Majlis-e is the party of Muslims, then Nitish Kumar must remember that when history is written about who helped make the BJP stronger in India, then the name of Nitish Kumar will be mentioned,” Mr. Owaisi said. “When Gujarat was burning, Nitish was the railway minister and he made the BJP stronger. If Akhlaq and Pehlu Khan were murdered, the support of Nitish’s party was also there,” he added.

Alleging that the Bihar CM could not think above “Kurmi and Kushwaha”, Mr. Owaisi claimed that Mr. Kumar had always cheated the people. 

“Nitish can go to BJP anytime and he has done so in the past as well. No one can take his guarantee. Several times, he has gone to the BJP and RJD. Who has coined his name  Paltu Ram? I didn’t,” Mr. Owaisi said.

Both the BJP and the ruling Mahagathbandhan alliance had previously launched their election campaigns in this region. The BJP is trying hard to make inroads into Seemanchal, currently the stronghold of the Mahagathbandhan.

The importance of the region can be understood from the fact that Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched his Lok Sabha campaign in Bihar in September 2022 from Seemanchal and has visited Bihar thrice after the Janata Dal (United) snapped ties with the BJP in August 2022. In response, the Mahagathbandhan, which comprises seven parties, held a rally in Purnea district on February 25 at the Rangbhoomi Maidan, the very same place from where Mr. Shah launched his campaign.

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