Nowhera ready to take on Asaduddin

Hyderabad: The rumour mills are abuzz in the City that Heera group chairman, Nowhera Shaikh will be taking on MIM president and incumbent Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi in the Parliamentary Elections scheduled to be held in 2019.

These rumours gained strength after Heera Gold chief responded to the questioned posed by local channels about her future plans, while she was being presented at Aurangabad Court by police, which had sought further extension of her custody, which was rejected on Wednesday. Answering to a question, if she had any plans to contest against Hyderabad MP, in the upcoming elections, she said “I am ready to take on anyone from India” (puri India se takkar lungi). Even though, she could not express clearly about her intentions, politicians as well as some local media has taken this seriously considering the fact that she had contested from all seats in Karnataka’s Assembly elections and even expressed her intentions to contest in Telangana by organising a press conference, before being arrested by the City police (from Delhi) on October 16.

It may be mentioned here that her All-India Mahila Empowerment Party (AIMEP) contested 221 of the 225 seats in the Karnataka assembly with its diamond symbol and could not win even a single seat. Some organisations and political parties have alleged that she tried to help BJP in Karnataka with her attempt to divide Muslim votes. Prior to her arrest by Hyderabad police, she had announced that the party would contest all 119 seats in the Telangana Legislative Assembly elections. Portraying herself as the champion of women rights and child rights she had declared her intentions even as investors turned impatient. But before she could make any political move, she was arrested by police following scores of complaints by investors.

Hailing from Tirupati, Nowhera Shaik's Heera group of companies has its India head office at Masab Tank, Hyderabad and hence most of the investors are from the City. Even though, she once again assured the investors of returning back their payment as per the provisions, MIM leader and Heera Group Victims Association president Shahbaz Ahmed Khan, pooh poohed her claims. He alleged that the Heera Group chairman does not have even Rs 500 crore and how is it possible to repay thousands of crores to investors. Ridiculing the idea of contesting opposite Asaduddin Owaisi, he said that she was signalling the BJP to help her divide Muslim votes in Hyderabad, if it helps her get out of this mess. “This is nothing but joke of the year, if she contests from Hyderabad. Moreover how can she indulge in such misadventure when thousands of investors are facing financial problems because of her,” he noted.