Bihar:Muslims in Kishanganj divided over UAPA accused Sharjeel Imam’s candidacy in the upcoming assembly elections, Owaisi’s AIMIM rejects him
The Kishanganj district in Bihar has the highest Muslim population in the state. However, the Muslims in the district, with a 70% majority in the population, are divided over the jailed 2020 Delhi riots accused, Sharjeel Imam. Sharjeel Imam has announced his candidacy for the Bahadurganj assembly seat in Kishanganj district. His brother, Muzammil Imam, is campaigning for him. But the Muslims here are divided over which party Sharjeel Imam should contest the election from. In an interview with Scroll, published in August this year, Imam was asked which party he wanted to contest the elections from. Sharjeel replied, “Our options are limited. I don’t want to join parties that only give emotional speeches”. He added, “We are ready to work and join any party that helps us raise fundamental systemic issues and spread the message about constitutional changes needed for a dignified life for minorities and marginalised people.” Demand for AIMIM’s support for Sharjeel Asaduddin Owaisi’s party, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), performed unexpectedly well in the 2020 elections in the Seemanchal region of Bihar (comprising the Purnia division, which includes the districts of Araria, Kishanganj, Katihar, and Purnia). He fielded candidates in 20 out of the 24 seats in Seemanchal, winning five of them. This time too, his party is contesting the elections with full force in this Muslim-majority region. Therefore, Sharjeel’s supporters on social media as well as on the ground want Owaisi’s party not to field its own candidate, but to give a ticket to Imam. An X user, Sheikh Sabbir, wrote in support of Imam, “A promising, capable, educated, and serious person like Sharjeel Imam should be sent to the House. Talk to AIMIM’s responsible leader, Hazrat Muzammil, about this.” Another X user named Sohail wrote, “Why hasn’t AIMIM given Sharjeel Imam a ticket?” Meanwhile, AIMIM candidate for the Bahadurganj Assembly constituency, Tausif Alam, stated that he is not acquainted with Sharjeel Imam and does not know who he is. Tausif even suggested that if Sharjeel had the courage, he should contest elections from his constituency. Responding to this, Sharjeel’s brother, Muzammil, supported the demand of Sharjeel’s supporters and said, “Did anyone ask the AIMIM high command why Sharjeel Imam was not given a ticket, when in the Delhi Assembly elections, Owaisi himself went to Tahir Hussain’s house, met his family, and gave him the ticket.” शरजील ईमाम एक बदक़िस्मत इंसान !मैं किसी शरजील ईमाम को नहीं जानता हूं, ये कहना है बहादुरगंज विधानसभा के AIMIM प्रत्याशी तौसीफ आलम साहब का की वो किसी शरजील ईमाम को नहीं जानते हैं, मैं यक़ीन के साथ कह सकता हूं की वो बिल्कुल उन्हें नहीं जानते हैं वरना इतनी बे-ग़ैरती से उनकी… pic.twitter.com/02Vr0H1GDc— Muzzammil Imam | مزمل إمام (@imammuzzammil) September 26, 2025 Amidst this ongoing debate on social media, it is important to note that Sharjeel Imam’s father, Akbar Imam, was also a politician. In 2000, he contested from the Kurtha constituency seat as an independent candidate and subsequently joined Nitish Kumar’s JDU party. In 2005, he contested from the Jehanabad constituency on a JDU ticket, but lost to the RJD candidate. He passed away in 2014. Silence of RJD-Congress, the usual appeasers of Muslims Both the RJD and the Congress party are silent on the issue of giving Sharjeel Imam a ticket. Both parties claim to represent Muslims, yet neither is showing any interest in giving Sharjeel a ticket, nor are the Sharjeel supporters asking them to give him a ticket. This means that the only hope of Sharjeel Imam’s supporters in Bihar is the AIMIM, and even that hope has left the Kishanganj voters divided. Both the RJD and Congress accuse AIMIM of cutting Muslim votes and call it the “B” team of the BJP, but on the issue of Sharjeel Imam, they appear to be hesitant. As the Bihar assembly elections are approaching, Owaisi has expressed the wish to form an alliance with the RJD and become a part of the Mahagathbandhan. Let alone allying with the AIMIM, the RJD didn’t even consider it appropriate to meet with AIMIM leaders. The political tussle has given rise to the conflict among the Muslims in Kishanganj regarding Sharjeel Imam. (This article is a translation of the original article published in OpIndia Hindi.)
The Kishanganj district in Bihar has the highest Muslim population in the state. However, the Muslims in the district, with a 70% majority in the population, are divided over the jailed 2020 Delhi riots accused, Sharjeel Imam. Sharjeel Imam has announced his candidacy for the Bahadurganj assembly seat in Kishanganj district. His brother, Muzammil Imam, is campaigning for him. But the Muslims here are divided over which party Sharjeel Imam should contest the election from.
In an interview with Scroll, published in August this year, Imam was asked which party he wanted to contest the elections from. Sharjeel replied, “Our options are limited. I don’t want to join parties that only give emotional speeches”. He added, “We are ready to work and join any party that helps us raise fundamental systemic issues and spread the message about constitutional changes needed for a dignified life for minorities and marginalised people.”
Demand for AIMIM’s support for Sharjeel
Asaduddin Owaisi’s party, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), performed unexpectedly well in the 2020 elections in the Seemanchal region of Bihar (comprising the Purnia division, which includes the districts of Araria, Kishanganj, Katihar, and Purnia). He fielded candidates in 20 out of the 24 seats in Seemanchal, winning five of them. This time too, his party is contesting the elections with full force in this Muslim-majority region.
Therefore, Sharjeel’s supporters on social media as well as on the ground want Owaisi’s party not to field its own candidate, but to give a ticket to Imam. An X user, Sheikh Sabbir, wrote in support of Imam, “A promising, capable, educated, and serious person like Sharjeel Imam should be sent to the House. Talk to AIMIM’s responsible leader, Hazrat Muzammil, about this.” Another X user named Sohail wrote, “Why hasn’t AIMIM given Sharjeel Imam a ticket?”
Meanwhile, AIMIM candidate for the Bahadurganj Assembly constituency, Tausif Alam, stated that he is not acquainted with Sharjeel Imam and does not know who he is. Tausif even suggested that if Sharjeel had the courage, he should contest elections from his constituency.
Responding to this, Sharjeel’s brother, Muzammil, supported the demand of Sharjeel’s supporters and said, “Did anyone ask the AIMIM high command why Sharjeel Imam was not given a ticket, when in the Delhi Assembly elections, Owaisi himself went to Tahir Hussain’s house, met his family, and gave him the ticket.”
शरजील ईमाम एक बदक़िस्मत इंसान !
— Muzzammil Imam | مزمل إمام (@imammuzzammil) September 26, 2025
मैं किसी शरजील ईमाम को नहीं जानता हूं, ये कहना है बहादुरगंज विधानसभा के AIMIM प्रत्याशी तौसीफ आलम साहब का की वो किसी शरजील ईमाम को नहीं जानते हैं, मैं यक़ीन के साथ कह सकता हूं की वो बिल्कुल उन्हें नहीं जानते हैं वरना इतनी बे-ग़ैरती से उनकी… pic.twitter.com/02Vr0H1GDc
Amidst this ongoing debate on social media, it is important to note that Sharjeel Imam’s father, Akbar Imam, was also a politician. In 2000, he contested from the Kurtha constituency seat as an independent candidate and subsequently joined Nitish Kumar’s JDU party. In 2005, he contested from the Jehanabad constituency on a JDU ticket, but lost to the RJD candidate. He passed away in 2014.
Silence of RJD-Congress, the usual appeasers of Muslims
Both the RJD and the Congress party are silent on the issue of giving Sharjeel Imam a ticket. Both parties claim to represent Muslims, yet neither is showing any interest in giving Sharjeel a ticket, nor are the Sharjeel supporters asking them to give him a ticket. This means that the only hope of Sharjeel Imam’s supporters in Bihar is the AIMIM, and even that hope has left the Kishanganj voters divided.
Both the RJD and Congress accuse AIMIM of cutting Muslim votes and call it the “B” team of the BJP, but on the issue of Sharjeel Imam, they appear to be hesitant. As the Bihar assembly elections are approaching, Owaisi has expressed the wish to form an alliance with the RJD and become a part of the Mahagathbandhan.
Let alone allying with the AIMIM, the RJD didn’t even consider it appropriate to meet with AIMIM leaders. The political tussle has given rise to the conflict among the Muslims in Kishanganj regarding Sharjeel Imam.
(This article is a translation of the original article published in OpIndia Hindi.)
