Taslimuddin hopes for a cakewalk but JD(U) may pose bumps

Union Minister and RJD nominee Taslimuddin thinks of winning hands-down from here but his over-confidence may face a reality check from JD(U)'s Syed Mahmood Ashraf who enjoys the double bonanza of Nitish Kumar's "clean image" among Muslims and ally BJP's Hindu votes.

A four-time MP from here, the Union Minister of State for Civil Supplies has dismissed any worthwhile opposition from both Ashraf and Congress candidate Maulana Asrarul Haque in this Muslim-dominated seat that is going to polls on April 30.

"It is virtually a no contest here and I am going to win hands down. I have stood by the people of Kishanganj through thick and thin and have done a lot of development work for my constituency," a confident Taslimuddin, who faces nine criminal cases, told PTI.

However, the RJD leader may still face stiff opposition from Ashraf, who is banking on the Nitish Kumar government's pro-Muslim image and welfare schemes in the state for the minority community. That apart, the JD(U) nominee is confident of getting most Hindu votes due to an alliance with the BJP.

Almost all major parties have always nominated Muslim candidates from the seat, which has voted for a Hindu candidate only once since 1957. It is also viewed as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's laboratory to test his popularity among the minority community.