 "Owaisi attacks grand alliance, says no 'secret deal' with BJP")
All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen is serious about winning Assembly seats in Seemanchal region, and it is not about checking the popularity of Hyderabad-based party in the poll-bound state, its President Asaduddin Owaisi said.
On his party's decision to contest polls in Bihar ruffling lot of feathers in the so-called secular camp, the Hyderabad Lok Sabha member said, "They have not done justice or development and their track record clearly shows that the real prosperity or justice has not been done.
"We have decided to limit ourselves only to Seemanchal area and that too we are yet to take a decision on how many seats of 24 (in the region) we are going to contest. In constituencies where the AIMIM is not contesting, the party has requested the people of Bihar defeat BJP and to vote for any secular candidate or secular combination," he said.
"Despite that, they are fully drunk in arrogance and they don't want MIM to participate," Owaisi told PTI as he attacked the grand alliance of JDU, RJD and Congress.
"If you see Seemanchal area, out of 24 (seats), BJP had won 13 in 2010. Am I responsible for that? And what is the number of Muslim representation? So, they are being badly exposed."
AIMIM's stand, he said, is very clear that it wants to contest on the plank of development and justice for Seemanchal region and "wherever we are not there (not contesting) in Seemanchal (that comprises four districts) or anywhere in Bihar, we request the people of Bihar to vote for secular candidate or secular combination."
As for whether AIMIM is just testing waters in Muslim-dominated constituencies of Seemanchal or if it is serious about winning in the region, he said, "Of course, we are serious. We want to win the Assembly seats where we are contesting and we have to work hard and will definitely work hard to win the confidence of the people.