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Owaisi’s AIMIM considers Uttarakhand debut in 2022, says Nayyar Kazmi
AIMIM’s Uttarakhand president Nayyar Kazmi said: “We are now waiting for the party high command’s decision and in the meantime, we have started strengthening the party in the hill state.” He added that Asaduddin Owaisi is yet to take a decision
HARIDWAR: The Uttarakhand unit of Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is considering to contest the 2022 assembly elections from three plain districts of the state but a decision on the proposal is yet to be taken, a senior state party leader said on Wednesday.
Uttarakhand AIAMIM president Nayyar Kazmi said the state unit’s proposal has been placed before party boss Owaisi who is yet to take a call. Kazmi said the proposal was sent after a survey indicated the party could field candidates on 22 seats in Udham Singh Nagar, Haridwar and Dehradun districts which have a substantial minority population.
“We have identified 22 seats where AIMIM can perform better and even win a seat or two. We are the lone party catering to the minority as well as neglected segments so we stand a good chance if party president decides to field party candidates in 2022 Uttarakhand Assembly elections too,” said Kazmi.
Kazmi said Owaisi fan-following among the youth was on display during his personal visit to Haridwar on Wednesday last week when hundreds lined up for a glimpse.
Owaisi’s party has been on an expansion mode for several years; the Hyderabad-headquartered party already has lawmakers in Maharashtra and Bihar.
“We are now waiting for the party high command’s decision and in the meantime, we have started strengthening the party in the hill state”, said Nayyar Kazmi.
Political analyst SMA Kazmi said the minority vote would not automatically translate into electoral support for a party if it is not perceived to have a fighting chance to win a seat.
“No doubt popularity of Owaisi is immense among youths but to contest elections the first time and win seems a herculean task as of now. But yes, they can start with fielding candidates and gradually strengthen the party here,” Kazmi said, adding that the community was likely to rally behind the party that is perceived to be in a position to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), “whether it is Congress, Aam Aadmi Party or AIMIM”.
Owaisi was in Uttarakhand to visit the revered Sufi shrine of Sabir Pak Kaliyari at Piran Kaliyar in the Haridwar district. The four-time Hyderabad parliamentarian paid obeisance at the revered Sufi shrine where the famous Sabir Pak Kaliyar annual urs (death anniversary of a Sufi saint) is held. Piran Kaliyar is the dargah of the 13th-century Sufi saint of Chishti Order, Alauddin Ali Ahmed Sabir Kalyari also known as Sarkar Sabir Pak and Sabir Kaliyari, situated at Kaliyar village, near Haridwar on the banks of Ganga Canal, 7 km from Roorkee.
After offering obeisance, Owaisi went to the residence of the state president of AIMIM Nayyar Kazmi where he interacted with the party’s state unit office-bearers.
