All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) candidate Md. Sarwar Alam has secured a decisive victory in Bihar’s Kochadhaman assembly constituency, polling 81,860 votes to defeat Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) rival Mujahid Alam’s 58,839 votes by a margin of 23,021. BJP’s Bina Devi finished third with 44,858 votes, trailing by 37,002. This win, declared on November 14 amid NDA’s statewide landslide (210+ seats), marks AIMIM’s strongest showing in the Muslim-heavy Seemanchal region, where the party now leads in five other seats like Amour and Jokihat.
Kochadhaman, a general seat in Kishanganj district with 66.5% voter turnout on November 6, has historically swung between RJD and JD(U). Alam’s triumph—his first here—signals a shift in minority votes, bucking Mahagathbandhan’s rout (39 seats total) and Jan Suraaj’s flop (0 seats).
A Fluid Race Turns Dominant: Alam’s Lead Builds Steadily
Counting started at 8 a.m., with early postal ballots favoring RJD’s Mujahid Alam (1,4046 vs. Alam’s 12,174 in initial rounds). AIMIM flipped the script in EVM rounds, surging to a 4,370-vote edge by mid-morning and 22,497 by afternoon. Alam’s grassroots appeal among 60% Muslim voters, coupled with Owaisi’s anti-NDA rhetoric, propelled the upset.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Md. Sarwar Alam | AIMIM | 81,860 | Winner (+23,021) |
| Mujahid Alam | RJD | 58,839 | Runner-up |
| Bina Devi | BJP | 44,858 | Third (-37,002 from winner) |
Final ECI tally; total valid votes: ~1.85 lakh. Check results.eci.gov.in for details.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi called it a “victory for marginalized voices,” amid opposition claims of vote-splitting aiding NDA. With leads in Jokihat (22,707 margin), Bahadurganj (4,589), Thakurganj (8,428), Amour (35,163), and Baisi (5,508), AIMIM eyes 6 seats—more than Congress’ 4. NDA hails its “sushasan” mandate, while critics like Akhilesh Yadav decry SIR “manipulation.”
