Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) plans to field candidates in about 25 seats and is hoping for an electoral alliance with the Janata Dal (Secular) in the Assembly elections in Karnataka, the party’s state unit president Osman Ghani said on Tuesday.
“So far, we have announced three candidates. We are open for alliance. We will definitely contest the elections. Whether we will have an alliance or not, we will have to wait”, AIMIM chief Owaisi told news agency PTI.
State unit chief Ghani said the party is in discussions with the JD(S) headed by former prime minister H D Deve Gowda for an alliance but the latter is yet to respond to the offer. He said the party would contest in about 25 constituencies in the state.
Asked about parties with which AIMIM is open for alliance, Owaisi, the Hyderabad Lok Sabha member, told PTI: “Congress does not want to have an alliance because they make wild and baseless allegations against me. So, we will see”.
In the 2018 polls for the 224-member Assembly in Karnataka, Owaisi had asserted that both the BJP and the Congress have failed the people of the state, adding that his party will not be in the fray in the poll-bound state and that he himself will address public meetings of the JD(S) in case the need arises.
“MIM party has decided to support JD (S) party in Karnataka Assembly elections. We want non Congress and non BJP government in Karnataka for qualitative development. MIM will not be fielding any candidates. I will address public meetings in support of JD (S) if there is need,” he tweeted.
Last week, Owaisi had slammed the BJP-led Karnataka government for abolishing the 4 percent quota for Muslims in the state.
He also attacked the Congress and the JD(S) for remaining quiet on the scrapping of the Muslim quota.
He tweeted and wrote, “It’s been a day since Karnataka BJP scrapped 4% quota for poor Muslims. It was redistributed to Vokkaliggas & Lingayats who are dominant forward castes. They also already had quota. BJP’s Muslim hatred is well known. But Congress & JDS are also silent. What’s their stand?”
Meanwhile, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala stated on Tuesday that the party’s second list of candidates for the Karnataka Assembly elections will be released late today, as reported by news agency ANI.