Bahadurpura constituency: MIM set to retain seat as it sees no Opposition bumps

♦ The Opposition contenders are unproven in big time politics and voters are skeptical about them. Since the formation of the constituency, the present MLA Mohammed Moazam Khan (AIMIM) has won the seat with a majority of 82,000 votes. The Majlis has been gearing up to retain this seat without much effort, unlike other constituencies

♦ Even though the BJP and the Congress have not announced candidates, according to political analysts, the battle will be likely in the hands of AIMIM. If Moazam is fielded again it will be his tryst for fifth win in polls from Bahadurpura. A political analyst said each time a dozen candidates will be contesting for this segment, including those of major parties, but all failed to defeat the AIMIM since the last four terms

Hyderabad: The Bahadurpura constituency has been an AIMIM bastion, even though the Opposition BJP and Congress have been trying to grab the seat with no prominent face leaders.

The Opposition contenders are unproven in big time politics and voters are skeptical about them. Since the formation of the constituency, the present MLA Mohammed Moazam Khan (AIMIM) has won the seat with a majority of 82,000 votes. The Majlis party has been gearing up to retain this seat without much effort, unlike other constituencies.

Even though the BJP and the Congress have not announced candidates, according to political analysts, the battle will be likely in the hands of AIMIM. If Moazam is fielded again it will be his tryst for fifth win in polls from Bahadurpura. A political analyst said each time a dozen candidates will be contesting for this segment, including those of major parties, but all failed to defeat the AIMIM since the last four terms.

With over 80 per cent population belonging to the minority community, this constituency in the Old City has been dominated by AIMIM. No other party even stood second in polls and all nominees lost their deposit in the year the constituency was created, as per the Delimitation Act of 2002. Since 2004 Moazam Khan appears to be safekeeping the seat in his hands.

Khan began his political career as a giant-slayer by defeating Congress MLA Danam Nagender, who wrested power in Asifnagar, prior to delimitation, from 1994 till his defeat in 2004 by-elections. There has been no looking back for Khan after he became an MLA for the first time by winning in 2004.

Before being shifted to Bahadurpura by the party, he had represented Asifnagar which became a part of the Nampally constituency. It was a cakewalk for Khan from Bahadurpura in 2009, 2014 and 2018 elections. He won the seat for the third time in 2018 with a record majority of 82,518 votes after which the constituency is considered to be one of the top strangleholds of the MIM. The other major political party BRS has announced its candidate Mir Inayath Ali Baqri, a former chairman of SETWIN, who contested in 2014 from Charminar and in 2018 from Bahadurpura.

However the MIM and the BRS share a friendly fight. A member of the Central Wakf Council Haneef Ali is likely to get the BJP ticket from the segment. He says that unemployment, development and education are the key issues that need to be addressed with urgency. The saffron party wants to bring development without discrimination here, but some people are unable to digest this and are trying to disturb the process.

Bahadurpura is one of the 15 constituencies that come under Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency. It has been named after Sarwar Ul Mulk Bahadurpura, who was a political adviser and master of Salar Jung I (Mir Turab Ali Khan). He is considered to be one of greatest Prime Ministers of erstwhile Hyderabad State.