Author: Madan Kumar
Publication: The Times of India
Date: July 15, 2015
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Muslim-candidates-defeat-in-Bihar-dents-JDU-RJDs-image/articleshow/48047527.cms

Introduction: Poor Show In Council Elections Raises Questions

The defeat of three of the four Muslim candidates of the so-called secular alliance in the Bihar legislative council elections, while being a major loss of face for Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and RJD boss Lalu Prasad, raises questions over whether the two of the tallest "secularists" in the state are losing their hold over their traditional votes.

 Equally, the results suggest that the grand alliance's aggressive attempt to poach Muslim votes may have misfired and resulted in a polarization favouring the BJP.

 Two of the three Muslim candidates, Mohammad Asad Alam and Israel Raen, lost the battle in the minority-dominated constituencies like Purnia-Araria-Kishanganj and Saharsa-Madhepura-Supaul.

The third contender, Salim Parvez, who was also deputy chairperson of the council, could not retain the prestigious Saran constituency, considered Lalu's stronghold.

 Lalu had begun his parliamentary career by winning his first election from Saran (then Chhapra) Lok Sabha seat in 1977 and won Saran four times, the last being in 2009 Lok Sabha elections.

 More significantly, two Muslim candidates, Parvez and Raen, were "sitting" MLCs and lost to the NDA's newcomers, Sachchidanand Rai (BJP) and Nutan Singh (LJP).

 Raen, a Congress candidate, lost the elections despite the fact that his party candidate Ranjita Ranjan had won the 2014 Lok Sabha polls from Supaul.

 Similarly, Asad Alam, who was contesting council election for the first time as the alliance candidate from Muslim-dominated Purnia-Araria-Kishanganj, failed to stop BJP's Dilip Jaiswal (who won the election for the second consecutive term), despite Lalu, Nitish, Tariq Anwar of NCP stoutly backing him.

 All three MPs from Asad's constituency are from the parties of the grand alliance. Asad himself had claimed support of all three: Asararul Haque (Congress MP from Kishanganj), Taslimuddin (RJD MP from Araria), and Santosh Kumar (JD(U) MP from Purnia).

 The lone Muslim candidate who could retain his seat is Ragib from Nawada. The BJP-led NDA won 12 of total 24 seats that went to polls on July 7, while secular alliance won 10 seats. Two seats were won by independents.

 "The council results clearly show that Lalu, Nitish and other leaders of secular alliance miserably failed to transfer their vote-banks in favour of candidates of their partners," said a political analyst.