Rise of MIM troubles NCP, Congress

The popularity of All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) — the pro-Muslim party from Hyderabad led by Owaisi brothers — has increasingly grown among the Muslim populace of Maharashtra and especially in the Marathwada region which was a part of the erstwhile Hyderabad state till its integration with India in 1948.

The party is contesting its first Assembly poll in the state and has fielded 24 candidates in Marathwada, Mumbai, Khandesh and western Maharashtra. Many of them were earlier in Congress or NCP.

According to political experts, although MIM stands a chance of winning only in a few constituencies, it may lead to defeat of Congress, NCP candidates in many of these constituencies. MIM is also trying to woo Dalit and OBC voters — who traditionally vote for Congress — by giving tickets to candidates from these communities.

“The possibility of winning a seat in Lok Sabha was non-existent. In Vidhan Sabha polls we stand a chance to win a few seats,” said Syed Moin, the state MIM chief.

According to Shaikh Mustafa, an NCP leader from Parbhani District, the MIM’s politics will only harm the Muslim community in the area. “While on the one hand MIM talks about fighting to increase the Muslim representation in the Assembly, their politics will end up reducing it. There are several places including Parbhani, Malegaon, Mumbai where Congress or NCP has already given a Muslim candidate. MIM has fielded candidates there which will ultimately divide the Muslim votes and benefit the Sena or BJP.”

Parbhani’s Congress candidate Irfanur Rahman Khan alleged that MIM has received “huge funds’’ from Sena and BJP to ensure his defeat. “They are nothing but proxies of communal parties. Not only is MIM directly eating into the Congress and NCP votes, the communal campaign is also polarising the voters thereby causing a further consolidation of Hindu votes,” said Rahman. Moin refuted these allegations.

The crowd that MIM rallies in the state is pulling has cemented the fear of Congress and NCP. Both Asadduin and Akbaruddin have been camping in Maharashtra for over a fortnight now and have conducted more than two dozen rallies in various constituencies.

Akbaruddin Owaisi’s Tuesday rally at Dargah Road in Parbhani was attended by over 20,000 people – most of them youngsters. Although the younger Owaisi spoke little about any scheme or agenda and mostly dwelt on identity rhetoric, it seems to strike a chord with the locals. “What do Muslims want? We want that nobody should ask us any questions for growing a beard or donning a skull cap. We want that nobody should dare to refuse us a home on rent only because we are Muslims. We want to ensure that culprits of every riot get punished. They ask us what MIM has done for Muslims. We have given them courage and self-confidence. We have given them power to stand up and demand their right. That’s why I urge you to vote for MIM so that you are no longer taken for being deaf and dumb,” Owaisi told a cheering crowd.

Feroz Pathan, 19, one of the supporters at the rally said, “I like their guts to speak their mind. No Congress or NCP leader can talk like them. They are fearless and have the strength to stand for the rights of Muslim.”

MIM is campaigning strongly in Malegaon (Central), where 95 per cent of population is Muslim. It has fielded former mayor Abdul Malik Mohammed Yunus from this seat.