Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president and MP from Hyderabad Asaduddin Owaisi has challenged the BJP president Amit Shah to contest against him in the next election.
Reacting to the claim of Shah at a meeting in Hyderabad that the BJP will wrest the Hyderabad lok Sabha seat in the next elections, Owaisi told a public meeting in the Old City that if he was so confident Shah should contest the next elections from Hyderabad.
“Why the BJP is wearing time and energy in searching and selecting a candidate to be fielded against me when Amit Shah can contest,” he said.
Owaisi said that let alone wresting Hyderabad, the BJP will not be able to retain the Secunderabad lok Sabha seat and the five Assembly segments in the city. “All these seats will be snatched from the BJP,” he said.
Owaisi said, “It (Hyderabad) is not a cake to be eaten just like that.” If his party has been winning the seat for more than three decades it was the result of hardwork of many years, he added.
Hyderabad lok Sabha seat is with the MIM since 1984 and Asaduddin Owaisi has won the seat for three consecutive terms. Earlier, his father represented the seat for more than 20 years defeating several BJP leaders, including M Venkaiah Naidu in 1996. “History will repeat itself and wresting the seat will remain a dream for the BJP,” he added.