MIM wins 2 seats on debut, wake-up call for major parties in Maharashtra

Parties bat for foiling MIM's attempts to polarise Muslim votes in the state

Hyderabad-based Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM)’s victory in two Assembly seats in Maharashtra has left rival political parties stunned. The Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena, Maharashta Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Samajwadi Party admitted that it is a wake up call for them, as MIM had succeeded in weaning away a section of Muslim and Dalit voters. MIM fielded 24 candidates in the state.

For MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, 45, and his younger brother Akbaruddin, known for provocative speeches, the victory is a dream come true. Both the brothers wanted to expand the party’s base outside Andhra Pradesh and had zeroed in on Maharashtra, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat for the purpose.

MIM’s Warish Yusuf Pathan won the Byculla seat in Mumbai by a margin of 25,314 votes. He defeated BJP strongman Madhukar G Chavan and Akhil Bharatiya Sena’s Geeta Gawli. Another MIM candidate, Imtiyaz Jaleel, was elected from Aurangabad Central, defeating his nearest Shiv Sena rival Pradeep Jaiswal by 30,000 votes, said party spokerperson Danish Reyaz. Jaleel is a former journalist.

In Nanded South, MIM’s Moin Akhtar gave a tough time to his nearest BJP rival Dilip Rao. MIM has 13 councillors, including a Dalit and a Maratha member, in the Nanded Municipal Corporation.

Owaisi, in his poll speeches, repeatedly said there was an international conspiracy to destabilise the Islamic world and lamented that certain elements are playing into the hands of anti-Muslim forces. Further, MIM’s legislator Akbaruddin said Muslims will foil the ploy of the BJP to make India a Hindu nation. “I am not against Hindus but against those who are insisting on Hindu Rashtra." He was reacting to the views expressed by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.  

A Congress nominee, who lost the Assembly polls, told Business Standard:  “Owaisi’s vitriolic speeches and his party’s plan to polarise Muslim votes will have to be taken quite seriously. The Congress will have to make further efforts to counter MIM’s plan to maintain Maharashtra’s secular and progressive credentials.”