New Delhi:
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul-Muslimeen or AIMIM has joined the battle for Maharashtra, hoping to develop its area of interest within the western state. With eye on Muslim and Dalit votes, the social gathering is contesting on 16 seats. Although it received solely two seats in 2014 and 2019, its impact had prolonged to chopping into the non-BJP votes from the Congress, triggering Maha Vikas Aghadi’s allegation that it’s the “B Staff” of the BJP.
AIMIM received Malegaon Central and Dhule in 2019 after contesting on 44 seats, however spoiled the possibilities of the Congress and Sharad Pawar’s undivided NCP on a dozen seats.
This time, the social gathering has fielded 4 Dalit and 12 Muslim candidates in Aurangabad Central, Aurangabad East, Mumbra-Kalwa (Thane), Malegaon Central, Dhule, Solapur, Nanded South, Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, Bhiwandi West, Karanja, Nagpur North, Byculla, Versova (Mumbai), Murtizapur (Akola), Kurla and Miraj (Sangli).
Most of those seats are round Mumbai. On nearly all seats, there are sturdy candidates of the Congress, NCP (SP) and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT).
The marketing campaign is being spearheaded by social gathering chief Asaduddin Owaisi and his brother Akbaruddin Owaisi, with the slogan “Jai Bhim, Jai MIM”.
Mr Owaisi’s hurdles have been multiplied by the Ulema Board, which has supported the MVA with 17 situations.
The principle calls for of the board embrace a ban on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological mentor of the BJP, and opposition to the Waqf Invoice.
Mr Owaisi feels this transfer of the board might result in a division in his Muslim votebank. However such a cut up will hit the MVA worse.