AIMIM alters pro-Muslim agenda
For its debut in the civic polls, AIMIM had been eyeing to win votes from about 20 per cent of Muslims who populate Mumbai.
Mumbai: As the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) party has set its eye on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation by contesting the civic polls this year, the Supreme Court ruling barring sectoral propaganda to woo voters has hit the party hard.
The SC ruling that came on January 2 has seen a change in the party’s stance, as during its first public rally, AIMIM promised a separate budget allocation for Muslims, and then changed the stance to working for all downtrodden sections of the society. Even the younger Owaisi, Akbaruddin is scheduled to speak in Mumbai January 28, in Govandi and even he is going to stick to development as agenda not of any religion.
For its debut in the civic polls, AIMIM had been eyeing to win votes from about 20 per cent of Muslims who populate Mumbai. In the two rallies it has conducted so far — one in Byculla and the other in Kurla — it has emphasised that Mumbai’s Muslims are neglected by the Sena-BJP saffron alliance. It has also taken a dig at AIMIM’s competitors for Muslim votes, the Congress party and the Samajwadi Party.
However, even during the rallies, AIMIM’s stance kept shifting. While in the first rally, Member of Parliament and AIMIM party president Assaduddin Owaisi said AIMIM would demand a separate allocation of funds for Muslims in the BMC budget after its victory in the BMC polls, the second rally saw him promise to work for the betterment of all the marginalised groups across the city.
A source within the party, who did not wish to be named said, “It is true that we had to slightly alter the propaganda after the Supreme Court ruling banning community and religion based propaganda for votes. But our stronghold is in the Muslim dominated areas of the city, and we are sure to win seats in areas of Kurla, Bandra and Byculla, which are predominantly Muslim.”
Meanwhile, Party spokesperson for Mumbai, Waris Pathan, who is also AIMIM’s only MLA from Mumbai said, “We want to develop all areas which are marginalised and ignored. It has nothing to do with Muslim or non-Muslim voters.”