Nitish Kumar-led alliance’s new worry: MIM could be the spoiler in Bihar

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And the AIMIM has just added to the worries of Nitish and Lalu. Of the 24 seats in Seemanchal, 10 account for Muslim-dominated areas.

A Kishanganj JD(U) leader said: “Owaisi does have appeal. He can disturb equations. We have communicated our concerns to the top leadership. The association of Akhtarul Iman, a popular local leader, is a matter of serious concern.”

NCP leader and Katihar MP Tariq Anwar too has said he is open to an alliance with any party other than the BJP. Sources said the NCP has been in talks with Pappu Yadav.

JD(U) national spokesperson K C Tyagi told The Indian Express: “Sharad Yadav has been in talks with NCP chief Sharad Pawar to save the alliance. As for Owaisi, I will not react until he officially announces his party’s candidates. But voters should be wary of BJP agents.”

Meanwhile, a senior BJP leader said: “We are going to give many tickets to Yadav candidates. We have in our ranks Yadav leaders in Nand Kishore Yadav, Bhupendra Yadav, Ram Kripal Yadav and Nityanand Rai. Our attempt is to prove that a sizeable number of Yadavs have turned to us since the last Lok Sabha elections. Youths born after Lalu’s ascension as chief minister are young voters, and most do not associate with him.”

The RJD chief’s concerns, the BJP leader, said were not unfounded: “Sample any rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The youth crowd is not casteist. Yadav youths are as much enamoured of the PM as other youths.” BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said: “We will surely give more tickets to Muslims. It is a myth that Muslims do not vote for us”.

He said Khagaria MP and LJP leader Choudhary Mehboob Ali Qaisar will attend the Prime Minister’s rally in Saharsa on Tuesday. The BJP expects Modi to announce a special package for Bihar.