Hyderabad: Old city voters see no Oppn big name to take on AIMIM

♦ Major party candidates (BJP, Congress) face skepticism against AIMIM in Old City

♦ AIMIM has a strong chance to secure all seven seats this term

♦ Voters perceive candidates from other parties as “political tourists”

♦ MIM's accessibility and familiarity with voters contribute to its electoral success

Hyderabad: In six constituencies of Hyderabad’s Old City, the absence of prominent opposition leaders left voters with limited voting choice. The candidates from major parties such as the BJP and Congress lack significant political clout, and voters remain skeptical of their winnability against AIMIM. The winnability factor of candidates in the Old City is a major concern for most political parties.

As the campaigning in the Old City constituencies intensifies, The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) party’s stronghold garners attention. It appears that it has a good chance of securing all seven seats this term too. While it continues to remain dominant playerand a force to reckon with in Purana Sheher, it is yet to release its candidates list.

According to the citizens, there are no major leaders in the other parties to defeat Majlis and the voters do not have options to cast their vote in favour of others. Mohammed Ahmed, a resident of Old City said that the opposition parties who always remain vocal critic corner MIM for the underdevelopment of the Old city but failed to give the mass leader from their party to the voters as an option. “In almost all segments of the Old city, the major parties like BJP and Congress gave ticket to the dummy candidates who are only here to contest elections, not to defeat the Majlis.”

Asif Hussain Sohail, a political analyst said, “The candidates from other parties are often seen as “political tourists.” They become visible in the area only during elections, and citizens are unfamiliar with their faces. These non-local candidates lack knowledge about the geographical layout of the constituency, the concerns of gender-based voters, and the public grievances in the segment.

Sohail pointed out, “When citizens cast their votes, they consider both the candidate and the party they represent. In the Old City, the voters are familiar with the Majlis party and its MLAs, who have been serving for several decades. This contrasts with leaders from other parties who are now contesting in the upcoming elections and are relatively unknown. The accessibility of MIM MLAs, who engage with a wide range of constituents, from the masses to the classes, has been a major factor in their consecutive victories over several decades.”

In Hyderabad, the Majlis party is synonymous with the Owaisi brothers. This party has been the political voice for Muslims in the city, and the people have consistently elected them as their representatives.The saying of the Owaisi brothers is ‘Majlis achhi hai, Majlis buri hai. Majlis jaisi bhi hai, Majlis aapki hai’ (AIMIM might be good or bad, it is yours).

“Here people vote for the party and Owaisi brothers, they have faith in Majlis and them. However, during the elections, the vote bank of the MIM are secured compared to other parties. And the remaining votes remain divided to other parties,” Sohail pointed out.

The Majlis has recently formed a friendly alliance with K Chandrashekhar Rao’s BRS, and extended its support to all BRS candidates in areas where it is not contesting. MIM secured victory in seven assembly constituencies for the first time in 2009 and has maintained its strong presence in its traditional bastion in the Old City.