Congress, MIM woo JIH leadership

Charminar: The political parties including Congress and MIM which consider Muslim votes to be important factor in their electorate started wooing the State leadership of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), which has the ability to influence the voting patterns amongst the community in the upcoming Assembly elections. Leaders of both political parties knocked on the doors of the organisation’s regional office one after another on Wednesday trying their best to woo the state leadership. JIH leaders brushed aside the reports that it decided to support TRS ‘unconditionally’ and clarified that the organisation would arrive at a decision based on the report of its ‘manifesto committee’.

Historically, JIH has been instrumental in impacting the voting patterns in both Assembly and Parliamentary elections. The socio-religious group which had extended support to the Telangana movement and bifurcation; this time has come up with its own manifesto and submitting the same to the leaders of the political parties. On Monday, its leaders led by its State president, Hamid Mohammad Khan met the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in this endeavour triggering speculation that the organisation was extending support to the TRS. A few days back, Hyderabad MP and MIM party chief Asaduddin Owaisi also made a visit to the office of the organisation in Old City. The development bolstered the speculation that it would be backing the TRS-MIM combine in the State in these Assembly elections.

Following reports that the JIH has decided to extend support to TRS, the Congress jumped into action. On Wednesday, TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir, Abid Rasool Khan, Ex Chairman State Minorities Commission and other leaders met the leaders at its office in Chatta Bazar in Old City. “We have decided to meet various Muslim organisations and this process began by meeting Jamaat-e-Islami Hind state leadership. We sought support of the organisation in the upcoming Assembly elections. Congress being secular party we hope that the JIH will support it. Since there is a secret deal between TRS and BJP we hope that Muslims will vote for us,” he said.

Hamid Mohammad Khan said that being ideology-based organisation, the JIH has come up with manifesto which emphasises not only Muslim issues, but also issues of national interest like farmers’ problems, unemployment and other social and economic problems. “We have also included the demand of sub-plan for Muslims for the upliftment of weaker sections within the community. The manifesto committee is meeting leaders of political parties and will be coming up with a report on deciding about whom to vote,” he clarified.

Meanwhile the MIM MLAs, Mumtaz Ahmed Khan and Syed Ahmed Pasha Quadri also a made visit on the same day as part of their campaigning to keep in the loop the cadre based pan-India organisation which could influence large sections of the Muslim population.