Overview

• On July 2, AIMIM Bihar president Akhtarul Iman formally wrote to RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav seeking to join the Mahagathbandhan to prevent a split in secular votes.
• AIMIM highlighted its 2020 success in Seemanchal, where it won five assembly seats and argued that its inclusion would consolidate minority and secular support.
• RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari challenged AIMIM’s secular credentials, accusing the party’s past campaigns of inadvertently benefiting the BJP.
• RJD MP Manoj Jha suggested that AIMIM might better serve the anti-BJP cause by not contesting or by offering in-principle support rather than joining the alliance outright.
• No confirmation has been made on AIMIM’s inclusion and talks are continuing as the Grand Alliance strives for unity ahead of the October polls.