Constituting nearly 13% of the total electorate in Telangana, Muslim minority vote have become the most sought after by all the parties but the community itself was maintaining an enigmatic silence on its choices.
In Hyderabad, which had the biggest concentration of Muslims in the State, the community has traditionally been supporting the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) specially in the old city of Hyderabad, in the districts Congress has been the choice of the community in the last two elections.
However, this time the minority vote seems to be divided between two major political parties the Congress and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, if the stand taken by the two Muslim organisations is any indication.
Jamat-e-Islami Hind, who’s political affiliate Welfare Party of India is contesting from one lok Sabha and four Assembly constituencies has announced its support to different political parties in the other constituencies. In Hyderabad city itself, Jamate has announced support to MIM in the lok Sabha constituency and five Assembly constituencies of Charminar, Karwan, Bahadurpura, Malakpet and Nampally. But in two MIM Assembly constituencies of Chandrayangutta and Yakutpura Jamat has opted for MIM’s rival Majlis Bachao Tehreek. It also announced support to the Congress candidates in Secunderabad and Malkajgiri lok Sabha constituencies and 14 Assembly constituency in and around Hyderabad.
“We have taken this decision keeping in view the ability of candidates to defeat fascist parties and work in the interest of the country and the community”, Jamat said.
Telangana Muslim Mahaz, a group of 29 organisations has also released a mixed list of Congress and the TRS candidates. In Hyderabad, the group was supporting of 10 MIM candidates except Yakutpura where it announced support for MBT. Mahaz list includes 61 Congress candidates 42 of TRS, two of CPI and one each of CPI, CPIM, BSP and Dalit organization MRPS.
In Nizamabad lok Sabha constituency Mahaz has announced the support to Welfare Party of India’s MM Khan against Madhu Yashki of Congress, Kavita of TRS and lakshminarayana of BJP.
But interestingly name of Mohammed Ali Shabbir, Congress candidate from Kamareddy was missing from Mahaz list while Aziz Pasha, CPI candidate of Maheshwaram has got the support both from the Jamat and the Mahaz.
Earlier, another Muslim organisation United Muslim Forum had announced the support for all the MIM candidates across Andhra Pradesh and for Congress and TRS candidates in different constituencies suggesting that the community will go in for tactical voting based on the local situation.
When asked whether he had lost the Muslim support because of his alliance with the BJP, TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu quipped, “I also got the support from Muslims. Only fanatics are not voting for us”.