Asaduddin Owaisi, the leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), has chosen to limit the party’s candidate roster for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. Known as a prominent voice for Muslim minorities in India, Owaisi’s AIMIM has put forward only 16 candidates out of the 288 Assembly seats up for grabs on November 20. This move marks a departure from AIMIM’s broader participation in the 2019 Assembly elections, where the party contested 44 seats, ultimately winning two and increasing its vote share.
Owaisi’s latest strategy seeks to prevent a split in the Muslim vote, a calculated approach to bolster the chances of Muslim representation without dividing the electorate in key constituencies.
AIMIM’s Selected Candidates and New Tactics
The AIMIM’s candidate list includes several familiar names, such as sitting MLAs Mufti Ismail Qasmi from Malegaon Central and Faruk Shah Anwar from Dhule. Another prominent figure, incumbent MP Syed Imtiaz Jaleel, will contest from Aurangabad East, a constituency he represented in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. With its significant Muslim population, Maharashtra has long been a critical state for AIMIM, and Owaisi’s approach this time underscores a measured, resource-conscious campaign focusing on high-impact constituencies.
Owaisi’s party has also made an unconventional move by fielding three non-Muslim candidates in key areas, including Kirti Deepak Dongre in Nagpur, Samrat Surwade in Murtizapur, and Mahesh Kamble in Miraj. Dongre’s candidacy in Nagpur, often considered a stronghold for Hindutva politics, adds a bold dimension to AIMIM’s campaign strategy.
Akbaruddin Owaisi Takes Center Stage as Star Campaigner
Bringing further attention to AIMIM’s campaign is Hyderabad MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi, who has been introduced as the party’s star campaigner in Maharashtra. The younger Owaisi commenced his rally tour on Tuesday at Aurangabad’s Aam Khas Maidan, where large crowds gathered to hear him speak. AIMIM’s posters with bold slogans like “Hum aa rahe hain, Maharashtra” (We are coming, Maharashtra) added a dramatic flair to his rallies, which aim to mobilize significant support for the party’s selected candidates.
Asaduddin Owaisi also addressed the controversial “BJP’s B-Team” label often attached to AIMIM, refuting accusations that his party covertly aids the BJP by splitting the vote. “Now we cannot be accused of being BJP’s ‘B-Team’,” he remarked, pointing to his decision to contest fewer seats, emphasizing that AIMIM’s strategy is built on efficient use of resources and concentrated impact rather than an all-encompassing presence.
AIMIM’s Response to the “B-Team” Charge and Critique of Secular Parties
Owaisi took the opportunity to critique secular parties for what he describes as their inadequate support for Muslim leadership in states with a substantial Muslim population. “The so-called secular parties have neither developed nor mentored Muslim leadership in the states where there is a sizeable population of Muslims. How can they call me the ‘B Team’ when they themselves keep making and breaking alliances with the BJP?” Owaisi stated, calling into question the commitment of other parties to minority representation.
Political Rivals Increase Representation of Minority Candidates
The election season has also seen rival parties increasing their efforts to appeal to minority voters. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) recently announced that 10 percent of the party’s Assembly seats would be allocated to minority candidates, a notable change given that the NCP did not nominate any minority candidates in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Similarly, the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), led by Prakash Ambedkar, announced its own list featuring a significant number of Muslim candidates.
AIMIM’s Strategic Move to Strengthen Muslim-Dalit Alliance
In aligning AIMIM’s electoral approach with an emphasis on Muslim-Dalit unity, Owaisi has positioned his party as a serious contender that seeks to support minority communities without undermining their representation. By selecting a limited roster of candidates, AIMIM hopes to solidify its influence in key constituencies without fragmenting the vote base, especially among Muslim and Dalit communities.
