Seemanchal Assembly Elections Set for Fierce Battle as AIMIM and Jan Suraaj Party Vie for Muslim Vote Bank

Patna: Bihar’s Seemanchal region, comprising Araria, Katihar, Kishanganj, and Purnia districts, is gearing up for a high-stakes contest in the upcoming assembly elections. The region, home to a substantial Muslim population—Kishanganj (68%), Katihar (44%), Araria (43%), and Purnia (38%)—has 24 assembly seats at stake, with key issues including Waqf law and voter list revisions.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has ruled out joining the INDIA bloc after RJD declined the party’s offer, insisting that one-sided support would not work. AIMIM, which won five seats in the region in the last election, plans to field candidates on 50 seats across Seemanchal, Mithilanchal, Saran, and Shahabad, aiming to consolidate the Muslim vote.

Meanwhile, Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party is entering Seemanchal with vigor, announcing it will field 40 Muslim candidates in the state polls. Kishor recently addressed a Muslim gathering in Kishanganj, stating, “Half of the Hindu population of the country is against BJP, we can defeat Muslims if Muslim society supports us.”

The electoral dynamics are expected to put RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav in a challenging position, as both AIMIM and Jan Suraaj Party seek to make inroads into the region’s Muslim vote bank.

Political observers have expressed skepticism over AIMIM repeating its previous success. Pushpendra Kumar Singh, former TISS professor, noted that voters may have reconsidered supporting AIMIM after the grand alliance fell short of a majority by just 12 seats in the 243-member assembly. Another analyst pointed to Owaisi’s participation in a parliamentary delegation abroad post-Operation Sindoor as a potential source of voter dissatisfaction.