MIM wins 7 seats in Guj civic polls

The AIMIM has surprised political circles with a set of significant wins in the Gujarat municipal elections. The Hyderabadbased party secured seven seats — 4 wards in Jamalpur and three in Maktampur, the results declared on Tuesday showed.

The All India Majlis Ittehad ul Muslimeen has entered the election fray in Gujarat in alliance with the

Bharatiya Tribal Party of Chhotubhai Vasava. The BJP swept the polls while the AAP came second, edging out the Congress.

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi was enthused at the success of his party in the civic polls. He was quick to claim that the AIMIM will emerge as a new political force in Gujarat by drawing in the “deprived communities”.

Addressing an election meeting in Modasa in Gujarat, Owaisi said that during the last 65 years, Muslims were made political slaves and forced to bear the burden of upholding secularism. At the same time, he said, they were refrained from having their due share in power. Though Muslims were asked to promote secularism, fact remained that not a single Muslim was elected from Gujarat for the Lok Sabha during the last 35 years, he said.

Added Owaisi: “It is a reality of Indian politics that your problems would not be solved and nobody would be ready to even discuss your problems unless your elected representatives occupy the seats in Parliament or the assemblies. Developmental initiatives ignored habitations where Muslims and other deprived communities lived. Our children have been deprived of qualitative education facilities because they are poor.”

Owaisi alleged that the Congress party has all along exploited the Muslims.

The situation is such that it fears to give tickets to Muslims. “The Congress is worried that if it gave tickets to Muslims, it will lose the support of the majority community. The AIMIM is striving to help the community win its political rights. We will not allow anyone to create hurdles in the way of progress and deprive us of the fruits of development. The last time a Muslim was made the Mayor of Ahmedabad was in 1990.”