Asaduddin wins with record 2.7L majority

Charminar: AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi consolidated his vote share in Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency by winning the election with more majority than the 2014 elections surpassing the earlier margin by 68,879 votes. Asaduddin Owaisi won with over 2.7 lakh majority in the General Elections.

With a total of 5,03,473 votes polled in favour of the party's sole candidate from Telangana, who won with a majority of 2,71,333 (with a vote share of 58.66%) by the time results were declared in the evening. The runner-up and BJP candidate Dr Bhagavanth Rao received 2,32,140 votes (with a vote share of 27.05%).

In the previous elections in 2014, Asaduddin won this seat by defeating the BJP candidate by a margin of 2,02,454 votes which was 20.84% of the total votes polled in the constituency, while MIM had a vote share of 52.90% in 2014. Both MIM and BJP increased their vote share this time 6 and 7 % respectively. In 2009, Asaduddin defeated the TDP candidate by a margin of 1,13,865 and had a vote share of 42.07% in 2009, in the constituency.

MIM's ally TRS gets more

votes than Congress

Interestingly, the MIM's ally TRS party candidate got more votes (62,244) than that of the Indian National Congress (INC) candidate Mohammed Feroz Khan (49,339) amongst total contesting candidates of 15, while NOTA received 5,580 votes. In this Lok Sabha election, Hyderabad constituency recorded lowest turnout of voters amongst major cities, with 44.75% voting, where 86,31,36 cast their votes from the electorate of over 18 lakh.

With Assembly constituencies Karwan, Malakpet, Bahadurpura, Chandrayangutta, Goshamahal, Yakutpura and Charminar coming under this Parliamentary constituency, about 65% electorate comprise Muslims. This constituency is known as the MIM's stronghold ever since the party won in 1999 Lok Sabha elections. Father of Asaduddin Owaisi, Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi won the seat in 1999 and Asaduddin Owaisi upheld the legacy since 2004 and this time won with over 2.5 lakh margin.

Vote polarisation

With increased vote share by MIM and BJP this time at 6% and 7% respectively, it is believed that the constituency was further polarised reflecting the trend at the national level.MIM's poll campaign targeting the Prime Minister Narendra Modi rather emphasising the local issues is believed to have polarised the Muslim votes in its favour and despite the low voter turnout, Asaduddin won with a record majority.

It may be mentioned here that during his campaign, Asaduddin Owaisi was worried about the drop in number of votes and had requested the voters to increase their turnout in this Parliamentary election. Following in his footsteps, his brother and MIM MLA Akbaruddinmade a similar request at their last public meeting before the elections at Khilwat ground. During the polling day Asaduddin was also seen visiting different polling stations to know the percentage and at the end of the day it turned out to be a lowest voter turnout.