‘Want to dispel BJP B-team notion’: AIMIM pitches for alliance with MVA

The issue gained prominence when state health minister Rajesh Tope visited AIMIM MP’s Imtiyaz Jaleel’s house on Friday to condole the death of his late mother.

Mumbai: The All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has mooted for an alliance with the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). However, the MVA constituents have rejected the offer saying that AIMIM is the ‘B team’ of the BJP and one cannot have a pact with such a party.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut rejected the offer, saying, “There is no way, we can partner with someone who ideologises Aurangzeb (the late Mughal Ruler) and bows before his tomb.” (ARUN PATIL)

The issue gained prominence when state health minister Rajesh Tope visited AIMIM MP’s Imtiyaz Jaleel’s house on Friday to condole the death of his late mother. Here Jaleel expressed his party’s desire to align with the MVA Government.

“The MVA government is now dependent on three wheels (Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP). If they add us, we will become the fourth wheel and it will become stronger,” said Jaleel.

“Every time we fight the polls, we are accused of helping the BJP. We want to remove this notion by joining hands with the MVA,” Jaleel added.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut rejected the offer, saying, “There is no way, we can partner with someone who ideologises Aurangzeb (the late Mughal Ruler) and bows before his tomb. The AIMIM is the B-team of the BJP and this has been proved in the recent Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal elections.”

NCP chief Jayant Patil asked AIMIM to first display its opposition to the BJP. “The AIMIM should show by its deeds that it is opposed to the BJP instead of just talking about it,” said Patil.

Patil said that he did not think that Tope talked of alliance to Jaleel when he had gone to condone the death of later’s mother. “This is not the occasion where politics is discussed and I don’t think Rajesh Tope talked of this,” said Patil.

The BJP, meanwhile, said, “We are not bothered even if they all come together because people vote based on the work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, we would like to see the nature of the alliance between the Shiv Sena and AIMIM,” said the former chief minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis.

For years, the AIMIM restricted itself to Hyderabad. In 2012, it debuted in Maharashtra politics by winning 11 seats in the Nanded Municipal Corporation polls. In 2014, it won two seats -- Byculla and Aurangabad central -- in the Maharashtra Assembly elections. In 2019, Jaleel created history by winning the Aurangabad Lok Sabha seat.