· Shabbir Ali accuses MIM of splitting Muslim votes to benefit BJP, says people now see through its tactics
· Shabbir Ali campaigns for Congress candidates in Bihar Assembly elections

Kishanganj (Bihar), November 1: Senior Congress leader and Advisor to the Telangana Government Mohammed Ali Shabbir accused the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) of deliberately sabotaging the chances of Muslim candidates of the Congress in Bihar by dividing secular votes and indirectly helping the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Addressing reporters after campaigning for Congress candidate Qamar Ul Huda in Kharkhari village of Kishanganj constituency on Saturday, Shabbir Ali said that MIM had turned into the BJP’s “B-team” by contesting in Muslim-dominated areas only to weaken secular parties. “MIM is acting as a spoiler. Instead of strengthening secular forces, it is cutting into Muslim votes and helping the BJP. The party has become a real “vote katwa,” he said.

Shabbir Ali asserted that the Congress has always stood for the welfare and political empowerment of minorities through inclusive representation and policies. He said that by dividing Muslim votes, MIM was obstructing the community’s path to meaningful representation. “Every vote split in these constituencies strengthens communal forces. MIM’s entry in such areas is clearly designed to damage Congress candidates and reduce Muslim political influence,” he added.

Referring to past elections, Shabbir Ali said that in the last Bihar Assembly elections, MIM had won only four seats but helped the BJP gain advantage in more than two dozen constituencies by dividing the Muslim vote. “People have now understood their tactics. This time, MIM candidates will not even be able to save their deposits,” he said.

Calling on voters in Kishanganj and other Muslim-majority regions to unite behind Congress nominees, Shabbir Ali said the community must not allow its strength to be diluted. “We should send a strong message that Muslims will not be misled by divisive politics. Md Qamar Ul Huda represents a secular and inclusive vision, and the community must ensure his victory,” he said.

He urged local Congress workers to intensify door-to-door campaigning and counter misinformation spread by rival parties. “Our fight is not only against BJP but also against those who indirectly strengthen it by fragmenting secular votes,” he said.

Shabbir Ali, who joined the election campaign today, said unity among secular forces was the only way to stop the BJP’s divisive agenda. “Wherever MIM contests, BJP gains. That is the pattern across states. People must see through this design,” he remarked. (eom)