Asad’s shrewd strategy pays off as MIM keeps its bastions intact

Hyderabad: Amidst the Congress wave in Telangana, the AIMIM had no affect on it and was able to clinch its constituencies as the party chief Asaduddin Owaisi’s strategies worked at its best in Old Hyderabad. Its move to replace the three stalwarts of the party by giving a chance to three new faces paid rich dividends. Of the winners, three elected contenders Mohammed Majid Hussain (Nampally), Mir Zulfiqar Ali (Charminar), and Mohd Mubeen (Bahadurpura) will enter the Legislative Assembly as MLAs for the first time.

In the recently concluded Telangana Assembly polls, the Majlis had contested in nine assembly seats and won seven seats which it had been winning since 2009. The star campaigner and party chief Asad Owaisi, who had conducted campaigns like holding their traditional Paidal Daura, corner meetings and grand public meetings in all contesting segments. This time with toughest competition in two seats Majlis maintained their bastions.

As per political analyst, the decision of the party to hold the three stalwarts of the party including Mumtaz Ahmed Khan, who was the MLA since 1994, Syed Ahmed Pasha Quadri since 2004 and Mohammed Moazzam Khan since 2004 was replaced. And after several years, the party witnessed the new faces. Though the now elected MLAs were working corporators and former mayor, this had an impact on the party to retain their seven seats, says Asif Hussain Sohail.

Following the announcement of the candidate list, Asad initiated a war-foot campaign in all constituencies with a majority of canvassing in Nampally. It is said that Asad’s full-fledged campaigning made it possible to win the seat. “After a long see-saw, MIM’s new face who was former Mayor Mohammed Majid Hussain won Nampally with 62,185 votes with a margin of 2,000 votes with his nearest rival Congress’s Feroz Khan. It was a neck to neck fight in the segment and the Congress leader was leading in the majority of rounds. His strategies to replace the candidate came to grab the Nampally seat which is the only one out of six in Hyderabad parliamentary constituency.

Whereas for Yakutpura segment it was the toughest one for the Owaisi’ MIM and their bastion which was for decades. MIM shifted the Nampally MLA Jaffer Hussain Meraj to Yakutpura and here it witnessed a nail-biting battle. After witnessing a tug of war between Jaffer Hussain and MBT’s Amjedullah Khan, the seat was grabbed. This was toughest due to the low percentage of polling in the constituency. The segment was polled with the least in the entire state with just 39.64%. Jaffer Hussain won the seat with some 878 votes against his rival MBT. On Yakutpura, Asad on Monday said that the party had to work hard in the segment, we must build an affinity with the people there and will work to increase the voting percentage.

Moreover, the party saw another new face who is a senior leader and former mayor Mir Zulfiqar Ali. He is the first-time MLA from Charminar segment. Another new face corporator turned MLA Mohammed Mubeen from Bahadurpura won the seat with majority of votes.

Asif Hussain, political analyst said the party should come up with a greater number of new policies in coming years. This first-time in recent years they came with new faces the party saw a tug of war to retain back their bastion seats. “Asad Owaisi is a national face, and his party lacks a membership process, this is the drawback where several people including professionals stayed back to join the party. The party must have such a process, and different wings including women wing, intellectual wing and professional wing to encourage people. The party must increase their organizational system, identification of leaders, and grooming their leaders,” he added.