By India Tomorrow Correspondent,
Patna/New Delhi, 15 April 2014: Less than 10 days before seven Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar go to polls, Akhtarul Iman, the ruling JDU candidate in Kishanganj seat announced on Tuesday to withdraw from the race in favour of Congress to ensure defeat of BJP in the largest Muslim-dominated constituency of the country.
“I have lots of differences with sitting MP of Congress Mohammad Asrarul Haque as he has hardly done anything for the constituency and the community here. Yet, I have decided to withdraw from the race in his favour only to defeat BJP and Narendra Modi,” Akhtarul Iman told India Tomorrow over phone.
Kishanganj goes to poll on 24 April. The last date of withdrawal of nomination was 9 April. The fight, therefore, has now become straight and one to one between BJP and Congress. Dilip Kumar Jayaswal is contesting on BJP ticket.
Haque had won the seat on Congress ticket in 2009 defeating JDU’s Syed Mahmood Ashraf by 80,269 votes. Around 70% of voters in Kishanganj are Muslims. The party has fielded him again from the seat in this election.
Iman, the MLA from Kochadhaman Assembly seat in Kishanganj, had left the Rashtriya Janata Dal of Lalu Prasad a few weeks ago and joined JDU of Nitish Kumar. The ruling party had fielded him in Kishanganj as its Lok Sabha candidate.
Iman said the Muslim voters were confused about their choice because of several Muslims in the fray. The division was certain.
“There were three Muslim candidates in the fray. The Muslim vote was certain to be divided resulting in the victory of BJP candidate. The party was also distributing money to win Muslim vote. I decided to withdraw from the race to ensure unity among Muslims and defeat of BJP. If its candidate won it would be a great loss for the community. It is Modi’s party which was creating hurdles in the way of centre of Aligarh Muslim University,” Iman said.
