"Our state president has spoken to some leaders in Mahagathbandhan...": AIMIM chief Owaisi ahead of Bihar polls

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], June 29 (ANI): All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday said that AIMIM is in touch with some of the leaders in the Mahagathbandhan regarding alliance discussion for the upcoming Bihar assembly polls due later this year and also asserted his party wanted to keep the NDA out of power in Bihar.
Owaisi said that AIMIM's Bihar state President, Akhtarul Iman, has spoken to the leaders of Mahagathbandhan about a future alliance in the Bihar assembly polls.
"Our State President, Akhtarul Iman, has spoken to some leaders in the Mahagathbandhan, and he has categorically stated that we do not want the BJP or NDA to come back in power in Bihar. Now it is up to these political parties that want to prevent the NDA from returning to power in Bihar. Five years ago, I had also tried it personally. Nothing came out of it," Owaisi told ANI.
"This time also our state president is trying. But it is up to them. We will be contesting elections in Seemanchal and outside Seemanchal also. If they are not ready, I am ready to contest everywhere. Wait for the time to come. It is too early to announce the exact number," he added.
Earlier, Owaisi had written to the Election Commission of India (ECI), raising strong objections to the ongoing "Special Intensive Revision" (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
On his letter to ECI opposing the "Special Intensive Revision" of electoral rolls in Bihar, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, said "When you are giving unbridled powers to the BLOs and you have come up with this date of 01/07/1987 to 02/12/2004... What are these? These are all related to the Citizenship Act. You are also saying in your own note that the BLO can refer these cases of suspected foreign nationals to the competent authority under the Citizenship Act 1955... If that is the case, then should I assume and accept that they were all illegal migrants in the 2024 Parliament Elections, then we'll have to question that result also, then... We are not doing this for others."
"We are doing it to ensure that genuine Indian voters of Bihar who are very poor should not be disenfranchised. The whole world knows that there is a huge migration of Bihari youth to different parts of the country because of the misgovernance of various political parties... How did the BJP or Nitish Kumar win this election five years ago? With a few thousand votes only. The most injustice would be an Indian not getting the right to vote in Bihar just because he's poor, just because his house was washed away in a flood. How can the ECI do this SIR (Special Intensive Revision) in one month? How is it possible?..." he added.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has written to the Election Commission of India (ECI), raising strong objections to the ongoing "Special Intensive Revision" (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
In a letter dated Saturday, June 28, Owaisi expressed concerns that the revision exercise could have a "deleterious effect" on electors ahead of the upcoming Bihar legislative assembly elections.
He urged the ECI to provide a "detailed explanation" on several issues raised by his party in a formal representation.
Speaking to ANI, the AIMIM chief said, "Our request to the Election Commission of India is that we want a detailed explanation on the concerns which we have highlighted in the written representation which we have sent to the Election Commissioners."
Owaisi questioned whether the voter list used in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections included names of "foreign illegal migrants." He also pointed out that a Special Summary Revision (SSR) had already been conducted in Bihar between October 29, 2024, and January 6, 2025."Number one is that the voter list on which the 2024 Parliament election took place, did it have foreign illegal migrants? Secondly, the Special Summary Revision was undertaken for Bihar from 29th October 2024 to 6th January 2025. The third point which we have brought to the notice of the Election Commission is that last time when the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) was done, Bihar had one year to go for the Parliament elections and two years to go for the Assembly elections. Now you are saying that within one month, the whole SIR should be completed. You have not even given training to the Booth Level Officers (BLOs). How is it possible?" he said.
The AIMIM chief further alleged that BLOs have not received adequate training, and questioned the feasibility of conducting such an intensive exercise in such a short timeframe, especially in a state with over 7.90 crore voters.
He also criticised the extent of powers being given to BLOs during the revision, claiming it could lead to "disenfranchisement" and "loss of livelihood."
"There are more than 7.90 crore voters in Bihar, and the 5th point is that the BLOs have been given unbridled powers. The note says any house is closed or locked, go three times, slip the enumeration form, and after that the power is - they can even refer this case as suspected foreign national to competent authority under Citizenship Act 1955.
"This will lead to not only disenfranchisement of Indians but also loss of livelihood. How is it possible? How are you giving these powers to BLOs?" Owaisi said. (ANI)