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Journalism of Courage
Primarily focused on representing Muslim interests, the Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) plays a notable role in Maharashtra’s electoral landscape but is often accused by other Opposition parties of “cutting votes” that ends up helping the BJP.
However, electoral data suggests that the party’s actual impact on damaging the electoral prospects of these non-BJP parties may not be as significant as public perception indicates.
In the 2019 Assembly elections, the AIMIM contested 44 seats, winning two and securing 1.34% of the total votes. This represented a notable improvement from 2014 in which the party contested 22 seats, won two, and garnered only 0.93% of the total votes. Despite AIMIM’s efforts to project itself as a disruptor of the electoral hold of so-called secular parties in the Muslim community, the data reveals that its overall influence remains relatively limited.
The AIMIM in 2019 contested 44 constituencies, winning Malegaon and Dhule and finishing second in Aurangabad Central, Aurangabad East, Byculla, and Solapur City Central. The party’s influence was felt in 13 more constituencies, where it received more votes than the margin of victory. The BJP and its allies won seven of these 13 seats and six went to the Congress-NCP coalition.
The AIMIM made a notable entrance into Maharashtra’s political arena in 2014 with the unexpected victories of journalist-turned-politician Imtiaz Jaleel in Aurangabad Central and Byculla. Jaleel’s subsequent triumph in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, where he became the first Muslim to represent Aurangabad Central in 39 years, marked the peak of AIMIM’s performance in the state, particularly after its alliance with Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA). However, the party has since faced significant challenges, including the dissolution of its alliance with the VBA over seat-sharing disputes and the failure to retain both Aurangabad Central and Byculla in the 2019 Assembly elections.
While AIMIM did win in Malegaon Central, aided by the former MLA Mufti Ismail’s substantial following, and clinched Dhule in a closely contested race—where an unexpected vote split among established political figures allowed the relatively unknown Faruk Shah to emerge victorious—the party has struggled to build on these initial successes.
The recent loss of Imtiaz Jaleel by over 1.30 lakh votes in the 2024 Aurangabad Lok Sabha seat raises critical questions about the party’s ongoing appeal among Muslim voters. It appears that the Muslim electorate has shifted its support toward parties more capable of effectively opposing the BJP.
Moreover, internal turmoil within AIMIM has surfaced, particularly following the sidelining of working president Gaffar Quadri and former Mumbai president Faiyyaz Ahmed. This discord has revealed deep rifts within the party, with many disgruntled leaders, including Quadri, accusing Jaleel of having a tacit understanding with the BJP. “I have all the information on how much money has been taken from the Shiv Sena and the BJP. Imtiaz Jaleel can’t fool the Muslim community for long,” Quadri asserted after learning his name was not being considered for the Assembly elections.
To find its footing ahead of the Assembly elections, the AIMIM has been actively implementing a series of organisational changes and tweaking its political strategy. The party has proposed an alliance with the Congress and the NCP, suggesting collaboration in 28 seats.
However, the Congress seems reluctant to accept this offer, with its social media wing recently amplifying accusations against former Aurangabad MP Imtiaz Jaleel that he had dealings with the BJP.
Complicating matters, Jaleel has announced his intention not only to contest the Assembly elections but also to run in the Nanded Lok Sabha bypoll, necessitated by the death of Congress MP Vasantrao Chavan. The BJP lost Nanded this year despite the involvement of prominent local figures, including former CM Ashok Chavan, in the lead-up to the parliamentary polls.
The Nanded parliamentary seat has a 14% Muslim population, which increases to 24% in Nanded city. The AIMIM made its initial electoral foray outside Hyderabad in Nanded and has established a substantial following there. However, Jaleel’s insistence on contesting an election in a constituency 300 km from his base in Aurangabad, rather than promoting local leaders, has raised eyebrows about the party’s political trajectory.
“The AIMIM entered the state’s electoral scene with considerable promise, capturing the attention of young community members who believed it could advocate for their rights. However, its recent political decisions have fueled doubts about whether its current path genuinely serves the community’s interests in asserting its rights within the broader political landscape of the country,” said activist Shaikh Ubaid Ba Hussain.
