HYDERABAD/NEW DELHI: The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is planning to contest 10-12 seats in the upcoming Delhi elections. So far, it has announced only two candidates – Tahir Hussain from Mustafabad and Shafur Rehman, who is the Jamia Alumni Association (AAJMI) president, from Okhla.
AIMIM’s Delhi unit, in consultation with party president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, is likely to announce the remaining candidates in the next couple of days.
Sources in AIMIM told TOI the Delhi unit is keen to contest from Babarpur, Ballimaran, Chandni Chowk, Okhla, Jangpura, Sadar Bazar, Matia Mahal, Karwan Nagar and Seelampur. Most of these constituencies have a large population of Muslims. Except Karwan Nagar, which was won by BJP in 2020, the others have been electing an AAP candidate for the last two terms.
If AIMIM fields a candidate in Jangpura, the person would be up against AAP’s former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia. BJP has fielded Tarvinder Singh Marwah while Congress has given a ticket to former councillor Farhad Suri.
AIMIM’s Delhi head Shoaib Jamai said the party has the scope to become a kingmaker, adding it will support any party that defeats BJP and can beat it in the future too.
On fielding Delhi riots accused Tahir Hussain from Mustafabad, Jamai said everyone has the right to contest elections in a democracy. “Other parties too are fielding candidates who went to jail. Ultimately, it is the people who decide who should represent them. We are trying to give voice to those suppressed,” he added.
Hussain was linked to the 2020 Delhi riots, with the police naming him as a key accused. AAP parted ways with him after he was charged. Recently, he got a reprieve in a related case after Delhi High Court quashed an FIR against him.
AIMIM had contested the municipal polls from a few wards in northeast Delhi and Muslim-dominated constituencies. Owaisi had campaigned in the national capital, but the party drew a blank.
The smaller parties have largely not been able to pose any major challenges to AAP and BJP in the assembly polls, which have been a bipolar contest. The third player in the ring, Congress, has seen its vote percentage erode in recent times, shrinking to 4% in the last assembly elections.
