Bihar mandate ''personal defeat'' for Modi:Asad Owaisi

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi today said that the BJP-led NDA's loss in Bihar was a "personal defeat" for Prime Minister Narendra Modi even as he hoped that his party, which made its poll debut in the state, would be in a "stronger position" to do well electorally in the future. "The most important point in this election is that this is a personal defeat for Modi. Because, never in independent India's history, have we seen a sitting Prime Minister getting so involved and addressing more than 35 public meetings," he said. Owaisi, the Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad, also thanked the people of the Seemanchal region in Bihar for voting for his party candidates and said that AIMIM will further strengthen itself for the next elections five years down the line. "I thank the people who voted for us and for giving us support. I would like to reassure the people of Seemanchal that we have talked about the development of the region and that will continue," he said. He added that the AIMIM has made an entry in Bihar and will try to strengthen itself in the state. "Hopefully, in the next five years, when elections will be held, we will definitely be in a stronger position not only to gain more confidence of people of Seemanchal, but to also ensure that our candidates win," he said as he thanked its Bihar unit for its work during the elections. The Owaisi-led All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) had contested a few seats in Seemanchal, a Muslim majority region that has a total of 24 Assembly seats.