AIMIM likely to contest 10 assembly seats in Delhi

Around eight of these 10 seats have a majority of Muslim voters, and all of these are currently under the AAP

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is likely to contest at least 10 of the 70 assembly seats in its first-ever Delhi elections, party leaders said on Friday.

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi. (PTI)

The party has already fielded former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain from Mustafabad constituency. Other seats that the party is eyeing are Seelampur, Babarpur, Ballimaran, Chandni Chowk, Okhla, Jangpura, Sadar Bazar, Matia Mahal, and Karawal Nagar, said AIMIM Delhi general secretary Haji Mehradeen Rangrez.

Around eight of these 10 seats have a majority of Muslim voters, and all of these are currently under the AAP.

AIMIM has already kicked off its preparations for seeking polls in its favour. Earlier on December 18, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi had addressed a political rally in Mustafabad constituency to seek votes in favour of party candidate Hussain.

“….By voting for him, you will not only be voting for an individual but you will be strengthening your leadership…no one tolerates the political leadership of Muslims. When political leadership can be formed for every community in India, why cannot political leadership be formed for Muslims?” Owaisi had said.

Hussain, who is one of the accused in a case related to 2020 riots and is currently in judicial custody, had joined AIMIM on December 10. Hussain was expelled from the AAP after his name figured in connection with the riots.

According to the 2011 census, there are around 2.16 million Muslims in the Capital.

Meanwhile, AIMIM’s Delhi state-incharge Sayeed Imtiaz Jaleel said that the party is conducting surveys in areas of its preference to find suitable candidates.

He also condemned the ruling AAP and the Congress for “only providing lip service to Muslims in Delhi and never actually cared for them.” “The condition of basic infrastructure in the Muslims areas is extremely bad, the education and healthcare services are also in poor shape in their areas. Muslims supported these parties but they have only been betrayed. In this election, the Muslims want change,” said Jaleel.

On AIMIM’s announcement, the BJP said that the party’s entry may lead to “communal tension due to the large presence of Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators.”

“As a more than four-generation Delhiite, it hurts me a lot to see a communal party like AIMIM entering Delhi politics and announcing that they will contest 10 assembly seats, all which have substantial Muslim population,” said Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor.