Hyderabad: A mini-storm of sorts has been stirred in the AIMIM with its former corporator from Rein Bazaar, Khaja Bilal Ahmed, alleging that party president Asaduddin Owaisi was offering covert support to the MIM’s avowed ‘enemy’, the BJP’s D. Raja Singh, by not fielding a candidate against him from Goshamahal constituency. The party was contesting against Md Azharuddin from Jubilee Hills, he pointed out.
Ahmed, who had sought a ticket to contest against Raja Singh, announced his resignation from the MIM on Sunday, even as he charged that Owaisi “wanted to keep Raja Singh active in politics for his own political ends.” Ahmed also said MIM was giving a ‘free pass’ to Raja Singh repeatedly.
The MIM sought to deflect the attack and chose to blame the Congress of being the ‘vote-cutter’ in 2018. Taking to X, the AIMIM said the Congress had won 26,322 votes, which could have gone to the BRS and helped it win from Goshamahal. The BRS got 44,120 votes against the BJP’s 61,854 in 2018.
MIM senior leader Akbaruddin Owaisi, campaigning in Chandrayangutta, countered Ahmed’s questions with a poser, “Why it was not contesting from here, and why it is contesting from there.”
He said, “We are told Yogi won (in Uttar Pradesh) because we contested from there. So, if we go to Goshamahal, who will win? There is no satisfaction no matter what we do. Then there is a RSS ‘Tillu’ who heads Congress. Why did he field India’s famous batsman from Jubilee Hills? He could have been fielded from Goshamahal. Why blame the MIM for everything?”
Akbaruddin Owaisi also called on his party workers to call out state Congress president A. Revanth Reddy ‘RSS ka tillu’.
Earlier, Ahmed said, “Muslims of the city should think about whether it is Azharuddin they want to defeat or Raja Singh. Majlis not fielding a candidate from Goshamahal is a huge conspiracy. It is because MIM wants Raja Singh to win, then become the BJP candidate from Hyderabad for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, use his presence to polarise voters to ensure a victory in the Parliament elections for Asaduddin Owaisi.”
“There are some 80,000 Muslim voters in Goshamahal. The only reason why the MIM did not field a candidate from Goshamahal was to keep Raja Singh active in politics so it can show him as a bogeyman for Muslims. The constituency, which is part of Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat, always gives 30,000 to 40,000 votes to Owaisi, and this is the reason why MIM has not fielded anyone against Raja Singh. I wanted to contest on a MIM ticket from Goshamahal so I could pay Raja Singh back in the same coin as he does targeting Muslims. Majlis wants to win seats but how will it win if it does not contest?” he said.
