AIMIM to field candidates in Rajasthan polls; Owaisi extends support to Jagan

Hyderabad: The All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi has announced that his party will be fielding candidates in the Rajasthan Assembly elections.

However, the number and the names of candidates contesting under the AIMIM banner are yet to be revealed.

'Elections may be held in December'

Owaisi has also asked his party cadre to support Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy’s party in Andhra Pradesh and instructed them to strengthen the party base there.

While addressing the office-bearers of the party’s primary units in districts of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra in Darussalam, Owaisi also reiterated the party’s support to BRS candidates where Majlis is not contesting. However, he indicated he would never support any MLA aspirant who had harassed his party cadre.

He said the Election Commission may announce the election schedule on or before October 10 and polling will be held in December.

Owaisi reiterates stand on women’s reservation

Speaking about voting against the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha, he clarified that his party is not against reservation for women in the Parliament and State Assemblies. The only reason he voted against it is to highlight the party’s opposition to reserving 33 per cent of seats to women while ignoring a section of the society that consists of more than 50 per cent of the population.

Likewise, he said that there is no provision for a sub-quota for Muslim women whose representation in the Parliament is declining year by year. He pointed out that though the population of BCs is more than 50 per cent, their representation in Lok Sabha is only 22 per cent. He said that while only 110 or 120 MPs belong to the BCs, 232 MPs from the general quota manage to win.

Owaisi said that 17 elections to Lok Sabha were held so far, in which about 510-520 women managed to win. However, the number of Muslim women among them is only 25. He said there have been four Lok Sabha elections in which a single Muslim woman could not win.

“In the 17 elections, 8,992 members were elected to the Lok Sabha, in which the total number of Muslim Lok Sabha members was around 510 only. The deficit in the ratio of Muslim MPs is 50 per cent. As per the population ratio, 1,050 Muslim MPs should have won so far. Muslims are being denied tickets,” he said.

‘Atmosphere of hate for Muslims in India’

Owaisi said that the atmosphere of hatred being created against Muslims, Dalits, and Adivasis will be a threat to the country. He said that prime minister Narendra Modi became stronger because of Congress, and if the Congress party had been on the right path, BJP would have never won the second time. He said that in the last elections, there was a direct fight between the BJP and the Congress in 185 seats and Congress won only 16 Lok Sabha seats, and still there is no change in the situation.