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Twenty-four Assembly constituencies in the Seemanchal region in North Bihar are among the 122 constituencies going to polls in the second and final phase of the State Assembly elections on November 11. People in the region, comprising Purnia, Katihar, Kishanganj and Araria districts, are badly affected by poverty, migration and floods, and they say they are voting for a change this time. Political parties are vying for their pie in the region, which has 28% of the State’s 2.31 crore Muslim population. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), led by Asaduddin Owaisi, which had announced that it would contest from 28 constituencies in the State, is in the fray in 15 constituencies in Seemanchal. Also read | Bihar Assembly election updates Failing to form an alliance with the Opposition led by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the AIMIM is all out to dent the vote share of the RJD. However, the party is unlikely to cause a division in the Muslim votes. Hectic campaigning Seemanchal is important for both the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the INDIA bloc, and political parties are leaving no stone unturned to attract the voters. On Friday (November 7, 2025), Union Home Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Shah held a roadshowin Purnia district. RJD leader and chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav held three rallies in Raniganj, Jokihat and Sikti Assembly constituencies in Araria district. On Saturday too, Mr. Shah addressed a rally in Katihar, raising the issue of ‘infiltration’. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a public meeting in Araria on November 6, said the NDA faced a big challenge on the journey of growth due the ‘menace of infiltration’. Mr. Owaisi addressed three public meetings in Amour, Kochadhaman and Govindganj Assembly constituencies on Friday. He is assertive about changing the face of Seemanchal and in attacking the RJD. Division of votes The AIMIM won five Assembly seats in the 2020 Assembly election. However, within two years, four of the five MLAs joined the RJD. Just one of them, Shahnawaz, is contesting the 2025 election from Jokihat on an RJD ticket. Another MLA, Akhtarul Iman, remains with the AIMIM and is the party’s Bihar unit president. He is contesting from Amour again. Mohammad Afaq Khan, a resident of Birnagar village in Araria, said that the AIMIM is contesting election to dent the vote share of Opposition Mahagathbandhan. “If at all, Owaisi’s party wanted to defeat the communal forces, they should not have fielded candidates on those seats where the Mahagathbandhan has fielded candidates. Young voters may incline towards the AIMIM, not completely but partially. We want change, and this time it will take place,” Mr. Khan said. However, Mubashir Raza of Bareli village in Baisi Assembly constituency, said, “Patang Chhap ladai mein majbooti se hai (The kite, which is the election symbol of AIMIM is strongly in the contest). Last time also, AIMIM candidate won the election, and this too the party’ candidate is giving a tough contest to the RJD and the BJP.” In 2020, Syed Rukknuddin Ahmad won from Baisi on an AIMIM ticket by defeating Vinod Kumar of the BJP, who has been repeated by the NDA. The RJD has fielded Abdus Subahan. Muslims play decisive role in 47 seats According to the 2023 caste-based survey data, Muslim voters play a decisive role in choosing the winner in 47 of the total 243 seats in the State Assembly. There are more than 40% Muslim voters in 11 seats and more than 30% in seven seats. Abdul Raqib, a farmer from Azamnagar bloc under Katihar Assembly constituency, asserted that his area is badly affected by migration and floods. “This entire Seemanchal belt has been facing the curse of floods for decades, and no government in Bihar is able to resolve this issue. From our village, hundreds of people have migrated. Due to a lack of employment opportunities, lakhs of people have migrated to West Bengal, Delhi, Mumbai, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, and the Gulf countries. We don’t even have a good college,” Mr. Raqib said. Poverty is widespread in Seemanchal and is evident as people still use firewood and dry leaves for cooking. One travelling through the Koshi belt could easily spot men and women carrying firewood on their heads. People in Seemanchal are too bothered about their own lives and livelihood to care about politics. Lack of education has left them with the only option of wage labour. In Amour, Abdul Razzaq said that out of his 12 family members, three are working in a cycle factory in Haryana and two in a construction company in Dubai. Asked about the incumbent MLA, AIMIM’s Iman, Mr. Razzaq said, “His work is not satisfactory. However, the only good thing is that he did not switch side and remained with patang chaap (AIMIM’s symbol – kite). Let’s see, what will happen this time. His party is not even from Bihar, many call it a Hyderabadi party.” Miffed with JD(U) over support for Waqf Bill Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Iman said, “It is not easy to keep everyone happy; I have tried my level best to do as much work as possible in my Assembly constituency. As far as the division of secular votes is concerned, it happens in every election, but only the deserving candidates who have people’s support win, and we have the people’s support.” Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) is also in the fray as a new player and is attracting a good chunk of young Muslim voters. However, many of them said that they have not completely distanced themselves from the Congress and the RJD. Muslims in Seemanchal expressed their anger against Janata Dal (United) president and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for supporting Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Parliament, which has since become an Act. “No doubt, whatever work has been done for the Muslims is because of Nitish Kumar, but he did not think about us on Waqf. We all have a high regard of him; but on this crucial matter, he should not have not supported the bill,“ Imran Siddiqui, a resident of Srinagar bloc under Kasba Assembly constituency, said. Many complained that during floods, when they are displaced, they do not get adequate facilities and ration for themselves as well for cattle. They said they faced the most difficult time of their life during the floods. Muslims play a crucial role in electing the government in Bihar as they constitute 17.7% of the total population of over 13 crore. In the 2020 Assembly election, none of the 11 Muslim candidates of the JD(U) won a seat. In the 2020 Assembly election, the BJP won eight seats in Seemanchal, the AIMIM five, the JD(U) four, the Congress five, and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation) and the RJD one seat each. This time, in the INDIA bloc, the Congress is contesting from 12 seats, the RJD nine, Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) two, and CPI(ML) one, while in the NDA, the BJP is contesting from 11 seats, the JD(U) 10, and the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) three.
