Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen is probably the only party in the State which never had a pre-poll alliance with any political party. This time too, the party is contesting alone for 34 Assembly and five Lok Sabha seats in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
While all major political parties contest either to win or loose the elections, the MIM’s strategy raises several questions on what it really stands for. Its presence on some seats and absence on others forces the analysts to believe that MIM aims to gain from everything. Its moves clearly point towards a secret understanding it enjoys with all other political parties. While it makes no compromise on the traditional seats that it has been winning since a few decades, it plays a different kind of politics on other seats.
Despite making tall claims of expansion to other area, the MIM has confined itself to the city while enacting almost fake contest on a few other seats in Greater Hyderabad area. Just like 2009 elections, the MIM did not field its candidate from Goshamahal Assembly segment which is a part of Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency. Interestingly, Darulsalaam, the headquarters of MIM, is located in Goshamahal constituency and it has decided not to contest elections from the same segment.
The absence of a candidate in Goshamahal clearly proves that the MIM has an understanding with Congress candidate M Mukesh Goud. Some MIM leaders contend that party’s presence in the constituency might lead to split of Muslim votes and help the BJP. Therefore, by not contesting from Goshamahal, the MIM intends to ensure the defeat of BJP. In such a case, the MIM could openly announce its support to the Congress candidate instead of simply abstaining from the contest.
Similarly, the MIM did not field any candidate from two other prominent seats – Khairtabad and Sanathnagar. While Khairtabad seat was won by Danam Nagender of Congress, Marri Sashidhar Reddy was elected from Sanathnagar seat in 2009 elections. Both the leaders are Congress nominees from the same seats in this election too. Both the constituencies have sizeable number of minorities’ voters and the MIM had the opportunity to win them by taking advantage of a multi-cornered contest. However, the MIM did not clarify its absence from these two seats giving room to speculations that it had a secret alliance with the Congress candidates in these constituencies.
Strangely, the MIM has fielded its candidates in Musheerabad and Amberpet Assembly seats where the Congress and BJP are the main contenders. While Amberpet is witnessing a straight contest between BJP State president G Kishan Reddy and Rajya Sabha MP of Congress V Hanumantha Rao, Musheerabad is having a keen contest between Dr P Vinay Kumar of Congress and Dr K Lakshman of BJP. A slight split of votes might have an impact on the results in both the constituencies. Therefore, the non-serious presence of MIM candidates in both the constituencies might indirectly help the BJP candidates win the elections. Analysts doubt whether the MIM is trying to help the two top BJP leaders win the elections by playing the spoilsports.
Similar is the case of Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency. MIM leaders Asaduddin Owaisi and Akbaruddin Owaisi had earlier announced that they would “seriously” contest from the seat in 2014 elections. The party had even tipped of fielding GHMC Mayor Mohammad Majid Hussain as its candidate from Secunderabad. However, the decision was changed in the last minute and a less known face, N Mohan Rao, was given the ticket from the constituency. This is being viewed as a vanishing act by the MIM as the party is not even campaigning properly in majority of areas except for Nampally and Jubilee Hills.
By fielding a candidate, the MIM gave an impression that it was quite serious about expanding to other areas. However, by fielding weak or less known candidates, the MIM is indirectly helping other parties or specific candidates in specific constituencies.
The MIM is generally considered a party which represents the minorities in the State. In a scenario where all major parties denied tickets to Muslim candidates, it was expected to field many Muslim candidates, especially from the constituencies which have a sizeable number of minorities voters. However, the party used 2014 elections to exhibit its secularism. Although it is a welcome move that there should be no discrimination on the basis of religion, caste, sex or creed in allocation of tickets, the selection of candidates from particular constituencies have indicated MIM’s lack of seriousness in winning those seats.
While MIM President Asaduddin Owaisi is the candidate for Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat, the remaining three Lok Sabha candidates in Telangana are non-Muslims. They are Diwakar Dharanikota from Malkajgiri, G Motilal Naik from Bhongir and N Mohan Rao from Secunderabad. Except for Hyderabad seat, it is difficult to predict on the performance of three other candidates who are making their debut in electoral politics.
Similarly, one-third of MIM’s Assembly candidates in Telangana are non-Muslims. They are Gadda Yugender from Uppal; Sharath Nalaganti from Amberpet; James Silvester from Secunderabad, G Motilal Naik from Bhongir, V Naveen Yadav from Jubilee Hills, Dharanikota Sudhakar from Malkajgiri and Gonti Vikram from Ibrahimpatnam Assembly constituency.
The other MIM candidates in the fray are: Akbaruddin Owaisi (Chandrayangutta); Ahmed Pasha Quadri (Charminar); Maozzam Khan (Bahadurpura), Ahmed Balala (Malakpet), Jaffer Hussain Meraj (Nampally), Kausar Mohiuddin (Karwan), Yakutpura (Mumtaz Ahmed Khan), Nazeer Khan (Serilingampally), Syed Rahmath (Patencheruvu), Mir Majaz Ali (Nizambad Urban), Mohd Ghouseuddin (Qutubullapur), Sheik Ahmed (Maheshwaram), Zakir Hussain Jawed (Rajender Nagar), Mohd Qasim Shaheen (Musheerabad).
The MIM has also named candidates for 13 Assembly and one Lok Sabha seats in Seemandhra region. They are: Moghul Kareemullah Baig – Markapuram; Mohammed Ali – Anantapur; Hadi Shaukat Ali – Hindupur; CM Ilyas – Kadri; Mohd Ali Pathan – Madanapalli; Shaik Karimullah – Nandyal; Khader Basha – Rayachoti; Mullanti Chandrasekhara – Alur; Y Mahaboob Basha – Guntakal; Shaik Abdul Khader – Ponnur; Basheer Ahmed – Guntur West; Shaik Bajit Basha – Guntur East; PN Varaprasad (SC) – Singanamala.
The MIM has also named P Venkatanarayana Reddy as its candidate from Nandyal Lok Sabha constituency, the same seat from where TDP has nominated former minister N Md Farooq as its candidate.
It may be mentioned that the MIM’s candidates are in double-digit figures after a gap of 20 years. The MIM contested from 35 Assembly seats in 1989 elections. Although it won only four seats, but it secured an average of 15.50% of votes on the seats that it contested. MIM candidates got third position in 22 seats, fourth position in five seats, fifth position in one seat and seventh position in two other seats.
MIM’s Baqer Aga lost the Karwan seat to BJP’s Baddam Bal Reddy with a small margin of 1.89% votes. In Banswada, MIM candidate Shaik Mahboob secured 10.17% votes although the winner Kathera Gandadhar of TDP got 44.99% votes against his nearest rival R Venkatarama Reddy of Congress who secured 42.51%. Similarly, in Bodhan, MIM’s MA Basith stood third with 21.63% votes against the winner K Ramakanth of TDP (38.23%). Congress party’s P Suderhan Reddy of TDP got 34.48%.
The MIM candidates also stood third in Vijayawada West, Vijayawada East, Guntur-I, Cuddapah, Tadipatri, Adoni, Kurnool, Mahbubnagar, Tandur, Vicarabad (SC), Chevella, Ibrahimpatnam, Musheerabad, Sanathnagar, Malakpet, Secunderabad, Sangareddy, Zahirabad, Mudhole and Adilabad. It got fourth position in Secunderabad Cantonment (SC), Siddipet, Karimnagar, Warnagal and Nalgonda. It was in fifth position in Nirmal and seventh position in Chriyal and Wanaparthy Assembly segments.
But in the subsequent elections held in 1994, the MIM disappeared from 15 out of 35 seats that it contested five years ago. It fielded candidates only from 20 Assembly seats. While it retained one seats of Charminar, it candidates lost from all other seats.
In Bodhan and Nizamabad seats, it went down from third to fourth position. In Bodhan seat, its polling percentage dropped from 21.63% in 1989 to a mere 3.65% in 1994 elections. In Nizamabad seat, MIM’s candidate Mohammad Sardar secured a mere 4.45% while winner Satish Pawar of TDP got 50.29%.
The other seats from where the MIM fielded its candidates included Vijayawada West, Giddilaur, Nandikotkur, Atmakur, Mahbubnagar, Himayathnagar, Sanathnagar, Secunderabad, Khairtabad, Malakpet, Asifnagar, Karwan, Yakutpura, Chandrayangutta, Narayankhed, Adilabad, Yellandu (ST),
In 1999 elections, the MIM further confined itself to five seats. It won four seats of Charminar, Chandrayangutta, Yakutpura and Karwan and lost Asif Nagar. In 2004 elections too, the MIM remained limited to seven seats and won four of them. Besides, Asifnagar, it also lost Kadiri and Himayatnagar.
Although the delimitation of Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies done in 2008 empowered the Muslim voters in 2009 elections and Muslims became a political force in at least 40 Assembly seats, the MIM shrinked the Muslim politics. It fielded candidates only from eight Assembly constituencies. While it won seven seats, its lone non-Muslim candidate Y Muralidhar Reddy could not even secure his deposit in Rajendranagar seat.
Besides Assembly elections, the MIM had also contested from multiple seats in Lok Sabha elections earlier. In 1989 elections, MIM fielded candidates from eight Lok Sabha seat including three seats in West Bengal. Besides winning the Hyderabad seat, the party secured third position in Mahabubnagar, Secunderabad, Nizamabad and Nalgonda. However, its candidates in Barasat, Howrah and Uluberia of West Bengal could not secure even one per cent of votes in their constituencies.
But in subsequent elections of 1991, it vanished from all seats except Hyderabad although it fielded a candidate from Berhampore in West Bengal.
In 1996 elections, it again contested from Hyderabad and Secunderabad. But it was pushed from third position in 1989 to fifth position in 1996 elections in Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat.
The MIM contested only from Hyderabad in 1998 and 1999 General Elections. But in 2004 elections, it again fielded its candidate from Secunderabad seat. This time it was confined to seventh position. In 2009 elections, the MIM limited itself only to Hyderabad seat.
The MIM’s history is a clear indication that the party lacks consistency and growth plans. It never strengthened its organisational strength or cadre base. Except for Owaisi brothers, there was no clarity on the likely candidates in other seats. Unlike other parties, the local leaders were never given an opportunity to establish themselves in the political arena of the State. Besides confining itself to a few seats of Hyderabad, it is alleged, that the MIM not only sabotaged the Muslim leadership in other areas, it also caused damage to the Muslim leadership in other political parties.
It is widely believed that the MIM leadership forces the other political parties to limit the number of Muslim candidates in every election. Else, it threatens to field its candidates in other constituencies to put their chances of victory at stake. This secret alliance has always worked for the MIM and this time too, it is most likely to benefit the party in help it in retaining its image as the “sole representative of Muslims” in Telangana.
The MIM will have no explanation for what prevented the party from fielding its candidates in Assembly and Lok Sabha seats with sizeable number of Muslims. The decreasing number of candidates – 35 in 1989; 20 in 1994, 5 in 1999, 7 in 2004 and 8 in 2009 – shows that the MIM had no intentions to expand itself. Instead, it blamed one or the other person or organisation for opposing it.
This time MIM candidates are in the fray from 34 Assembly and five Lok Sabha seats. It would be interesting to see whether the MIM proves its might or prove the analysts apprehensions right on May 16 when the results are declared.