Aurangabad: The rise of Sayed Imtiaz Jaleel in politics is nothing less than stunning.
Fifty-one-year-old Jaleel’s darting from journalism to politics Maharashtra, came as a surprise in 2014 when he declared that he was leaving his profession of 23 years to join politics. His announcement became a hot talking point because he was not joining just any political party but the Hyderabad based All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen. Many of his friends, family members and admirers did not expect him to join the Muslim party since he was a ‘secular’ person. But he said joining MIM was necessary for three reasons.
Firstly, he was impressed with the work which was being done MIM in Hyderabad, Telangana, and parts of Maharashtra. Secondly, there was no ‘secular’ party which was willing to accommodate him and thirdly, they were not interested in fielding a Muslim from Aurangabad assembly segment. The Shiv Sena, Congress, and Nationalist Congress Party were well entrenched and did not feel the necessity to have a Muslim to represent any segment in Marathwada.
All these factors led him to meet the MIM President Asaduddin Owaisi and seek entry into the party. The MIM put him up as its candidate from Aurangabad assembly election in 2014. To everyone’s surprise, he won the seat hands down. His performance in the Maharashtra Assembly was also noticed.
This time around, according to sources, Jaleel and a few active members of the MIM felt that the party should put up a candidate for Lok Sabha from Aurangabad. The MIM leadership was reluctant in the beginning but was literally forced to agree with the demand. The factor which went in favor of fielding a candidate from Aurangabad was the Party’s declared alliance with Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi of Mr. Prakash Ambedkar, grandson of Babasaheb B R Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian constitution. The gamble paid off.
Thanking all those who voted for him Jaleel said he would continue work for causes that concern the nation, particularly the situation of Minorities, Scheduled and Backward classes.
He is married to Roomi Fatima and has two children.