Elated over its impressive electoral performance and maiden entry into the Maharashtra Assembly, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) is now eyeing many other States with significant minority population to expand its base.
MIM president and member of the lok Sabha Asaduddin Owaisi described the election of its two MlAs from Aurangabad Central and Byculla in Mumbai as “phenomenal and historic” and said that the MIM is able to provide a new and effective platform to the Muslim and Dalit communities of Maharashtra.
Addressing the media at his party headquarters Darussalam in Hyderabad, Owaisi said the MIM will now focus on the Zila Parishad and civic elections of Maharashtra, including the Mumbai Municipal Corporation polls.
“We will also field our candidates in States like Karnataka, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. We will play an active role in these States and raise our voice against injustice to the Muslim community. We will work to empower Muslims who will play a bigger role along with Dalits,” he said.
Apart from winning the two Assembly seats, the MIM candidates lost narrowly in Aurangabad East, Nanded, Parbhani and Sholapur.
The MIM, which had fielded 24 candidates, polled more than half a million votes. It came second in Parbhani, Aurangabad East and Sholapur Central and third in Nanded South, Mumbadevi, Mumbra, Nanded North, Aurangabad West, and Malegaon Central.
MIM floor leader in Telangana Assembly Akbaruddin Owaisi, who campaigned along with his elder brother, said the success of Majlis is remarkable given the fact that the party did not have a strong organisational network in Maharashtra and both the brothers were harassed by the police.
“Very soon we will also open our office in Nagpur city of Vidarbha region,” he said. Akbar flew to Mumbai soon after the results were announced to meet the newly elected MlAs of his party and chalk out the future strategy.