Monday (March 24) saw two parallel iftar parties in Bihar capital Patna, with NDA ally Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal both hosting the evening gathering.
The month of Ramadan is coming towards its final days with less than a week left of the holy month. However, the month has seen the political climate heating up in Bihar, where the assembly election is scheduled later this year.
Political parties in Bihar, like elsewhere in the country, host customary Iftar gatherings each year as a gesture of goodwill. However, this year, there is a political undertone in the iftar gatherings.
Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal United (JDU) president Nitish Kumar was one of the first to host iftar parties. The evening feast was attended by people from the Muslim community, BJP leaders, and Bihar governor Arif Mohammed Khan.
VIDEO | Bihar CM Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar), Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary (@samrat4bjp) attends Iftar party hosted by Union Minister Chirag Paswan (@iChiragPaswan) at his residence in Patna. #NitishKumar #SamratChoudhary #ChiragPaswan #Iftar #ramzan2025 pic.twitter.com/NReTTTie3r
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 24, 2025
The iftar party was overshadowed by a 'boycott call' given by several prominent Muslim bodies, including All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), the Imarat Shariah (Bihar, Odisha, and Jharkhand), the Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind, the Jamiat Ahle Hadees, the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, the Khanquah Mujibia, and the Khanquah Rahmani over his support for the Waqf Amendment Bill.
ALSO READ | Several Muslim Bodies Boycott Nitish Kumar's Iftar Party Over His 'Support For Waqf Bill'
Monday, the 23rd day of Ramadan, saw two parallel iftar parties in Bihar capital Patna, with NDA ally Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal both hosting the evening gathering.
The Muslim organisations, which gave the boycott call against JD(U)'s iftar meet, also skipped the LJP's gathering. Several prominent leaders, including CM Nitish Kumar, Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary were present.
Patna, Bihar: RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Former CM Rabri Devi, and other party leaders attended the Iftar party at the residence of RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui pic.twitter.com/tepuNas9X4
— IANS (@ians_india) March 24, 2025
Meanwhile, the RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife and former CM Rabri Devi, and other party leaders attended the iftar party at party leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui's residence.
Iftar Parties Customary Or Political?
The iftar parties, like the one hosted this year, have been held organised in CM’s 1 Aney Marg and 10 Circular Road residence (Lalu Yadav's residence). The two rivals have been hosting iftar parallel (or together) based on the alliance in the state.
JD(U) MLC Khalid Anwar, speaking to IANS, said that Nitish Kumar has been hosting Iftar parties for the past 20 years and called the gatherings 'purely religious' events.
"Bihar's Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has been organizing Iftar parties for the past 20 years. These Iftar gatherings are purely religious, not political and have no connection to politics. It is a faith-based event that Nitish Kumar conducts with full devotion in honor of Ramadan, out of respect for Muslims, and to welcome Eid," Khalid Anwar.
Patna, Bihar: On Muslim organizations opposing the Iftar party organized by CM Nitish Kumar, JDU MLC Khalid Anwar says, "Bihar's Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has been organizing Iftar parties for the past 20 years. These Iftar gatherings are purely religious, not political and… pic.twitter.com/4t5gcFU0d8
— IANS (@ians_india) March 23, 2025
However this time, the iftar comes months ahead of the election and amid calls for boycott of the ruling party from the Muslim organisations over Nitish's 'support' for the Waqf Bill.
"Your Iftar invitation is a sign of goodwill and trust-building, but merely attending an Iftar is not enough to build confidence. Your government’s disregard for the legitimate demands of the Muslim community contradicts the very spirit of such symbolic gestures," a statement from the Imarat Shariah Bihar, Odisha and Jharkhand said.
Umar Ashraf, political commentator and founder of 'Lost Muslim Heritage Of Bihar', said that though iftar parties have been held regularly by political parties, it also becomes an event to showcase Muslim support.
"In Bihar, there is a significant Muslim population and therefore parties across the spectrum host such parties. But when it comes to the boycott we see this year, some big organisations have called for a symbolic protest. The boycott has been symbolic over their issues," Ashraf said.
Political Significance
The 2020 assembly elections in Bihar saw a tight contest between the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the main opposition Mahagathbandhan (MGB).
While Nitish Kumar managed to secure a fourth term with the BJP's support, Tejashwi Yadav’s RJD emerged as the largest party with 110 seats.
While the NDA managed to clinch the majority, one of the factors behind the RJD's performance was the consolidated Muslim and Yadav votes.
In the past three decades, the Muslims, with 17 per cent of the total votes in the state, had stood firmly with the RJD and its allies. However, Nitish Kumar's JD(U) has managed to get the support of Muslim women, along with other Economic Backward Communities.
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