Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has formally requested to join the Mahagathbandhan alliance in Bihar, comprising the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and Left parties, ahead of the 2025 assembly elections. In a letter dated July 2, 2025, AIMIM’s Bihar president and lone MLA, Akhtarul Iman, urged RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav to include the party to prevent the division of secular votes, which he claims benefits communal forces.

Iman emphasized that AIMIM’s inclusion would strengthen the Mahagathbandhan’s chances of forming the next government by consolidating the secular vote base, particularly in the Muslim-majority Seemanchal region. He noted past attempts to join the alliance in the 2020 Bihar Assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which were unsuccessful. AIMIM has also reached out to Congress and Left leaders, with Owaisi personally endorsing the initiative.

In 2020, AIMIM allied with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), winning five seats in Seemanchal and securing 1.24% of the vote share (5,23,279 votes). However, four of its MLAs later defected to the RJD in 2022, leaving Iman as the sole AIMIM representative. The party’s performance was blamed by RJD and Congress for splitting secular votes, contributing to Mahagathbandhan’s failure to secure a majority by 12 seats.

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RJD’s response remains tepid, with MP Manoj Jha suggesting AIMIM’s influence is limited outside Hyderabad and hinting that not contesting could better serve their shared goal of defeating the BJP-led NDA. Meanwhile, Owaisi has warned that AIMIM is prepared to contest 50-100 seats independently if alliance talks fail, potentially disrupting the opposition’s strategy in Seemanchal.

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