'Owaisi Sahab vote-cutter, secular parties must be alert': Congress' Adhir Ranjan

Asaduddin Owaisi's India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) on Tuesday won five seats in Bihar Assembly polls and said its critics have got a befitting reply from people. Owaisi thanked voters of Bihar for 'houring' party with 'so many votes', and said his party will try to fulfil promises y made.

"It's a great moment for us as people of Bihar have houred us with so many votes. Our leaders and workers have put a lot of effort into strengning our party in Bihar. We will try our best to fulfil promises made by us," said Owaisi.

'All secular parties should be alert'

Meanwhile, Congress accused Owaisi's party of sabotaging its vote base in Seemanchal region to help BJP. Senior Congress leader, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury described Owaisi as a "vote-cutter" and asked secular parties to be "alert". "BJP's tact of using Owaisi Sahab's party in Bihar elections has succeeded to an extent. All secular parties should be alert about vote-cutter Owaisi Sahab," he was quoted as saying by news ncy ANI.

AIMIM was in fray for 20 seats in Bihar polls, a majority of which went to polls in third phase on vember 7, as part of Grand Democratic Secular Front that has four or parties, including Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samta Party and Bahujan Samaj Party. 

Ahead of polling in third phase of polls, Congress had dubbed AIMIM as BJP's "B-team" and had accused party of colluding with BJP. Congress' Bihar unit chief Madan Mohan Jha had said AIMIM will t have any significant impact on assembly polls as people will t "waste" ir votes.

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Election Commission of India (ECI) anunced results of Bihar Assembly polls in early hours on Wednesday with BJP winning in 74 of 110 seats it contested and JD(U) bagged 43 seats out of 115 seats it fought. Among NDA allies, four seats went into accounts of Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) and 4 to former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular). NDA won an absolute majority in Bihar winning 125 seats, three more than halfway mark needed for a victory. Led by Tejashwi Yadav, RJD scored a win in all 75 seats it contested to emerge as single largest party in 243-member Bihar legislative assembly.

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(With ANI inputs)