After calling off its alliance with the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, the AIMIM is planning to field candidates in around 50 of the 288 assembly segments
While calls for implementing the National Registry of Citizens (NRC) in Maharashtra have intensified, the Owaisi-led All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is set to force the opposition to object the hasty implementation of NRC, which is said to be one of its poll planks in the state assembly elections.
After calling off its alliance with the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), the AIMIM is planning to field candidates in around 50 of the 288 assembly segments, which will include those across social categories like Marathas, Brahmins, Muslims, Dhangars, Dalits, tribals and Christians.
"There is a lot of panic among the people (over NRC) and one section of the political party will always want this (panic to happen)," said AIMIM MP from Aurangabad and the party's Maharashtra unit chief Imtiaz Jaleel. He stressed that "the NRC cannot be implemented all of a sudden," and that "people must be given ample time."
The former journalist said their prime agenda would also include the political empowerment of minorities and backwards. "Since there is no political empowerment, there is no one to look into their issues. If they are politically strong, their issues will be resolved," he explained.
Jaleel said the party would also campaign on the issue of the Narendra Modi-led government decision to scrap Article 370 of the Constitution which bestowed special status on Jammu and Kashmir, without taking the people of the state into confidence. "Excesses by the police," unemployment, and the growing social divide during the BJP-Shiv Sena's rule in Maharashtra will also be their poll planks.
The AIMIM has already declared 18 candidates, including five in Mumbai, with the final list being frozen by October 2. Party chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi will campaign across the state with public meetings being held in Aurangabad, Solapur and Mumbai.
Jaleel, who is the first AIMIM MP to be elected from outside Hyderabad, added that their candidates and prospective nominees in Maharashtra also included a Christian (Daniel Landge from Vadgaon Sheri in Pune), Dalits from reserved seats like Kurla in Mumbai, tribals, Marathas, backwards like Dhobis, Dhangars and even a member of the Brahmin community from Vidarbha.
During the Lok Sabha polls, the VBA and AIMIM, contested all 48 seats in Maharashtra, and are blamed for eating into the Congress and NCP's votes, leading to their defeat in eight constituencies. Barring Jaleel, all VBA nominees, including Ambedkar, who fought from Akola and Solapur, lost. Presence of VBA-AIMIM candidates is said to have polarised voters in favour of the BJP-Shiv Sena.
ELECTION STRATEGY
After calling off its alliance with the Prakash Ambedkar-led VBA, the AIMIM is planning to field candidates in around 50 of the 288 assembly segments, which will include those across social categories like Marathas, Brahmins, Muslims, Dhangars.
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