Bihar Polls Set To Be First Test Of Waqf Bill Impact

It remains to be seen if the BJP walks the talk to really help Pasmanda Muslims Firoz Mansuri, Pasmanda Muslim Samaaj national convener

- Arun Kumar

PATNA: Ahead of Bihar Assembly elections, the passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025 has drawn clear battle lines, with a united National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on one side and the Opposition Grand Alliance (GA) on the other.

The Opposition's hope for a shift in the stand of the JD-U, TDP and the LJP-R did not happen, as all of them extended their support to the Bill before it was placed before Lok Sabha to make its passage a forgone conclusion.

In Bihar, the population of Muslims is estimated to be over 17%, and how important it becomes in elections was clearly manifested during the Ramadan, just-concluded Eid and the agitation over the Bill by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, which was joined by RJD chief Lalu Prasad and leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav.

During Ramadan, there was a race for hosting Iftar party in Bihar. There was hardly anyone - Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad, Samrat Choudhary, Vijay Kumar Sinha, Tejashwi, LJP-R chief Chirag Paswan, HAM-S chief Jitan Ram Manjhi or Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor - who missed out.

The impact was also visible in Bihar Legislative Assembly where Opposition put on black badges in protest against Waqf Bill. It was also evident during Eid namaaz.

But with Eid over and Waqf Bill through, the real test will be on the ground in the election. BJP has termed the Bill in accordance with the Constitution, necessary to help backward Pasmanda Muslims, which experts view as a change in the party strategy to win over a section of Muslims, and prevent misuse and illegal sale of huge property. How much it works for the BJP, only time would tell.