Akhtarul Iman Explained

Akhtarul Iman
Office:Member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly
Term Start:2020
Predecessor:Abdul Jalil Mastan
Constituency:Amour
Term Start1:2010
Term End1:2014
Predecessor1:constituency created
Successor1:Mujahid Alam
Constituency1:Kochadhaman
Term Start2:Feb 2005
Term End2:2010
Predecessor2:Ravindra Yadav
Successor2:Mohammad Jawed
Constituency2:Kishanganj
Office3:State President of AIMIM, Bihar[1]
Term Start3:2015
Birth Date:7 March 1964
Father:Abdul Rashid
Nationality:Indian
Party: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen
Otherparty:
Alma Mater:Magadh University (M.A.)
Occupation:Politician

Akhtarul Iman (born 7 March 1964) is an Indian politician from the state of Bihar. He is a member of 17th Bihar Legislative Assembly, representing the Amour seat as MLA.[2] He is also the Bihar State President of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).[3]

Political career

1985–2015

Akhtarul Iman said that he entered politics when he was a student. In 1985, he joined a campaign led by Moulana Mohammad Hai against burglars and dacoits. Iman said that he joined the campaign as "the police and administration were hand in glove with them." In Bihar Assembly Elections February 2005, he contested from Kishanganj on a Rashtriya Janata Dal ticket and was elected. He also retained the seat in October 2005 election as well and remained as MLA of Kishanganj till 2010.[4]

In 2010 he was elected as MLA from Kochadhaman and resigned in 2014. In February 2013, when students were being made to do the Yoga Asana of Surya Namaskar (allegedly bowing down to Hindu sun God Surya), Iman said that the government was trying to implement the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (a Hindu right wing organization) ideology in the state.[5]

In 2014, he left Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and joined Janata Dal (United). He contested from the Kishanganj seat as JD(U) candidate for the 16th Lok Sabha and lost the election to Asrarul Haq Qasmi.[6] [7]

2015–present

In August 2015, Iman joined Hyderabad based All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and in November 2015, Iman was made a candidate for the party from the Kochadhaman seat in the 2015 Bihar Legislative Assembly election. In the rallies, the party workers hailed him as Sher-e-Bihar (Tiger of Bihar) and was projected as Bihar's Asaduddin Owaisi (the party's national chief). He said that if people of the Paswan and Yadav community can have their own political parties, then Muslims should also have their own.[8] He was also the party's president for Bihar state.[9] However, he lost the election to Mujahid Alam of Janata Dal (United). Iman polled 37,000 votes compared to Alam's 56,000.[10]

In the Indian general election, 2019 Iman was a candidate for the AIMIM from the Kishanganj seat but he lost to Mohammad Jawed.[11]

Iman became an MLA from Amour constituency in the 2020 Bihar Legislative Assembly election.

Positions held

Akhtarul Iman has served 4 times as MLA.[12]

From To Position Party
1. Feb 2005 Oct 2005 RJD
2. Oct 2005 2010 RJD
3. 2010 2014 MLA (3rd term) from Kochadhaman (resigned in 2014) RJD
4. 2020 Present AIMIM

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bihar: What Worked in AIMIM's Favour in Five Assembly Seats of Seemanchal? . 11 August 2022 . thewire.in . en.
  2. Web site: Akhtarul Iman (AIMIM), Constituency:Amour . Myneta.info . 9 October 2022 .
  3. Web site: Menon. Aditya. 2020-11-10. Bihar Election Result: Owaisi's AIMIM Makes a Dent in Seemanchal. 2020-11-10. TheQuint. en.
  4. Web site: Why Owaisi's point man, Akhtar-ul-Iman, in Bihar left RJD, JD(U) to join him. Indian Express. 12 June 2017.
  5. Web site: Pandemonium in Bihar assembly over 'surya namakar'. Times of India. 13 June 2017.
  6. Web site: Kishanganj Lok Sabha constituency election. Result University . 9 October 2022 .
  7. Web site: JDU Kishanganj nominee Akhtarul Iman withdraws in support of Congress. 13 June 2017. News18.
  8. Web site: Ground zero: remote Kochadaman is a test case for Owaisi. Catch News. 13 June 2017.
  9. Web site: AIMIM Names 6 Candidates for Bihar Elections. https://web.archive.org/web/20190402114614/https://www.ndtv.com/bihar/aimim-names-6-candidates-for-bihar-elections-1226253?amp=1&akamai-rum=off. dead. 2 April 2019. NDTV. 23 June 2017.
  10. Web site: Bihar election result: Asaduddin Owaisi's right-wing pitch falls flat in Bihar – Times of India. 30 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170930035857/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com//elections/bihar-elections-2015/news/Bihar-election-result-Asaduddin-Owaisis-right-wing-pitch-falls-flat-in-Bihar/articleshow/49713570.cms. 30 September 2017. dead. 23 March 2018.
  11. Web site: Bihar MIM chief and Kishanganj candidate Aktharul Iman demands special status for Seemanchal. Desk. Editorial. 12 April 2019. Maktoob. en-US. 28 November 2019. 28 November 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191128172825/http://en.maktoobmedia.com/2019/04/12/bihar-mim-chief-and-kishanganj-candidate-aktharul-iman-demands-special-status-for-seemanchal/. dead.
  12. Web site: Kochadhaman Assembly constituency election. Result University . 9 October 2022 .