As the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) faces one of its worst-ever performances in the Bihar assembly elections, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has taken a sharp dig at Lalu Yadav’s party. Senior AIMIM leader Waris Pathan said on Friday that the RJD’s arrogance and tactical missteps had led to its collapse, adding that his party’s early offer for an alliance was turned down.

“In the beginning, we approached them and offered to contest together, but they were too arrogant,” Pathan said, as AIMIM emerged as a surprise player with leads in six constituencies across the Seemanchal region. Political watchers believe the party broadened its base among Muslim voters, traditionally a stronghold of the RJD.

Rejecting allegations that AIMIM split minority votes, Pathan said the responsibility for the divide lies squarely with the RJD and Congress. “We only asked for six seats from the Mahagathbandhan, but they refused. They called us the BJP’s B-team in both Maharashtra and Bihar, and now they face defeat,” he remarked, noting that the arrogance of bigger parties had backfired.

Also Read: #BiharPolls: Owaisi Mocks Tejashwi’s ‘Extremist’ Remark, Launches Bihar Third Front

He also criticised the Grand Alliance’s leadership call, calling it a “tactical mistake.” “They declared Mukesh Sahani, who represents just 2 percent of voters, as the Deputy Chief Minister candidate, while communities with larger representation, including Muslims, were sidelined. The outcome is clear,” Pathan said. He drew comparisons with Maharashtra’s BJP, which he claimed made more strategic caste-based selections during elections.

Pathan also slammed RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav for calling AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi an “extremist.” “Just because of a beard and a cap, you label us extremists? That insulted not only Owaisi but all Muslims. Tejashwi should apologise,” he said. In a previous interview clip shared by AIMIM, Tejashwi had stated that “extremists have no space” in the Mahagathbandhan, sparking a controversy. With the NDA now crossing the 200-seat mark in Bihar’s 243-member assembly, the opposition’s failure appears to have handed AIMIM another opportunity to underline its growing political relevance.

Also Read: Kishan Reddy Urges Voters to ‘Protect Hyderabad from AIMIM’ During Jubilee Hills Bypoll Campaign