Kishanganj: As the nomination process for the Bihar Assembly elections gains pace, a video from Bahadurganj in Kishanganj district has gone viral, showing a crowd jostling and scuffling over biryani at a prayer ceremony organised by All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) candidate Tausif Alam.
Alam, who filed his nomination papers on Thursday at the Kishanganj Sub-Divisional Officer’s office, is contesting to retain his seat for a fifth term. Before the nomination, a Fatiha Khwani (prayer ceremony) was held at his residence, where biryani was served to attendees. However, the event took an unexpected turn when the crowd surged toward the food counter, resulting in chaos. Videos of the incident were widely shared on social media.
The footage shows people pushing and shoving in a bid to get biryani, with some reports suggesting minor scuffles broke out. Observers have raised concerns that distributing food during the election period could breach the Model Code of Conduct, which prohibits offering inducements to voters.
When contacted, Tausif Alam dismissed the allegations, saying, “It was a Fatiha Khwani ceremony where biryani was prepared as part of the religious ritual. Just as people distribute prasad after the Hanuman Chalisa, this was our offering.” He added, “Permission was granted for 2,000 people, but the public’s love was so overwhelming that the crowd grew much larger.”
Alam expressed confidence in his chances, saying, “I have full faith in the people of Bahadurganj. They have helped me win four times and will support me again. The BJP will not open its account in any of the four constituencies in Kishanganj.”
He also criticised the Grand Alliance and the sitting RJD MLA, alleging that “no development work has been carried out in five years.” He pointed to corruption in infrastructure projects and demanded an inquiry, claiming that funds worth Rs 1.17 crore for a road project were being misused.
Taking aim at the RJD MLA, Alam said that laying a foundation stone during the enforcement of the code of conduct violated election rules and called for an investigation by the district administration and the Election Commission.
