PATNA: The ruling grand alliance as well as BJP are giving special focus to the Muslim-dominated Seemanchal region ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election. There are five Lok Sabha seats in the Seemanchal region.
The grand alliance, comprising seven parties, will hold a public meeting in Purnea on February 25. It will be addressed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his deputy and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and other senior leaders of the grand alliance.
Besides RJD and JD (U), other constituents of the grand alliance are Congress, CPI (ML), CPI, CPI (M) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) of former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi.
In the rally, the grand alliance leaders will try to mobilise the support of the common people on the issues like alleged neglect of Bihar in the union budget for 2023-24, continuous attacks on the federal structure, denial of special status and special package to the state and the Centre's alleged step-motherly treatment to the non-BJP governments.
The grand alliance leaders are also expected to target the Narendra Modi government for attacks on those believing in secular principles. Bihar's ruling alliance, however, is wary of AIMIM cutting into the Muslim vote bank as it had even won five seats in the 2020 state assembly election.
It is another matter that four of its MLAs had joined RJD later, and it would be interesting to see how AIMIM performs in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
On the other hand, BJP has already started working on consolidating its support base by raising issues like Rohingya Muslims and illegal infiltration. The Muslim population in Seemanchal ranges from around 70 per cent in Kishanganj to 35 per cent in Purnea.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, BJP won three seats while JD (U) which was part of NDA at that time had won one seat in the Seemanchal region of the state.
The NDA had 39 of 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar in 2019. Congress had won the Kishanganj seat while RJD had drawn a blank in the last LS election. Nitish Kumar's JD (U) was then part of the NDA.
BJP has always been creating a hype by projecting the Seemanchal region as a hub of Islamic terrorism, infiltration from Bangladesh and IS (Islamic State) activities with an objective to polarise Hindu votes. So, BJP will be pinning its hopes mainly on the consolidation of Hindu votes and also the ‘charisma’ of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On the other hand, the grand alliance will be trying to turn its combined vote share into seats.
Union home minister Amit Shah had visited the region in September last and addressed a rally in Purnea. Later he held a meeting with officials at Kishanganj, which is close to the Bangladesh border.