Ex-Cong leader addresses first AIMIM rally

Mumbai: Three-time Congress corporator and one time Samajwadi Party (SP) corporator Waqarunnissa Ansari joined All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and held her first rally for the party on Sunday evening. Sources in AIMIM said she will contest February’s civic elections from her ward, Bhendi Bazaar, in South Mumbai, which has given her four victories to the post of corporator in the past.

Meanwhile, AIMIM has alleged that Congress, which had earlier allegedly threatened to disrupt AIMIM’s rallies by sporting black wrist bands and dispersing the crowd gathered at the venue, has now withdrawn its threats since the last two rallies, as it has begun to lose confidence after several of its senior leaders quit the party.  

AIMIM claimed it had received threats from Congress of disrupting its rally in Quresh Nagar in Kurla. AIMIM MLA and Mumbai spokesperson Waris Pathan said, “AIMIM is winning hearts and we see our popularity rising. Earlier we had received threat calls from Congress at the Quresh Nagar rally but that has not happened at Saturday or Sunday’s rally.”

AIMIM has conducted four rallies in the city so far. The first rally took place in Nagpada in December, which was followed by a rally in Quresh Nagar in Kurla, both addressed by AIMIM president and Member of Parliament Assaduddin Owaisi. The third rally in Govandi was addressed by Mr Owaisi’s brother Akbaruddin Owaisi on Saturday, followed by the fourth rally near Bhendi Bazaar on Sunday, which introduced Ms Ansari.

Meanwhile, Congress has alleged that AIMIM is in fact BJP’s brainchild, formed to woo Muslim voters, which do not identify with BJP’s traditional saffron agenda. Leader of the Opposition in the BMC, Pravin Chheda said, “BJP has brought AIMIM to Mumbai to woo Muslim voters, and Congress does not feel threatened by is presence.” Mr Chheda said that Congress has decided to field

Muslim candidates from Muslim-dominated areas to counter its growing popularity.