Hyderabad: The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has opted for a calibrated electoral strategy in the upcoming assembly polls, choosing to contest only in West Bengal in alliance with Humayun Kabir’s Aam Janata Unnayan Party, while extending support to allies in key states to avoid splitting votes.Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi-led party will not field its candidates in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and Assam. It is extending its support to other parties in Assam, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.The ECI announced elections for Assam, Kerala and Puducherry to be held in a single phase on April 9. Elections for West Bengal will take place in two phases on April 23 and April 29, while Tamil Nadu will vote on April 23. Counting of votes for all will take place on May 4.While the AIMIM has extended its support to the MK Stalin-led DMK alliance in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Owaisi’s party is supporting Badruddin Ajmal’s All India United Democratic Front in Assam.Though the AIMIM contested three assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu in the last election, this time, sources said the party has placed its demands before the DMK alliance, and decided not to contest as the Indian Union Muslim League and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi will contest as a part of the DMK-led alliance in some of the seats contested by the AIMIM previously.“A couple of these seats were contested by the AIMIM in the last election. Owaisi did not want the Muslim vote to get divided,” a leader of the AIMIM said.With regard to Assam, Owaisi himself revealed that the AIUDF leaders Badruddin Ajmal and his son Abdul Rahman Ajmal approached him seeking support. The AIMIM chief will campaign for both the father and son. Owaisi’s public meetings are scheduled to be held on April 2 and 3 in Assam, as per his tentative schedule.“We have submitted a list of seats and candidates to the party leadership. Owaisi is expected to announce the names of candidates who will be contesting on AIMIM tickets from various seats in West Bengal at the meeting,” said an AIMIM leader from West Bengal.The AIMIM did not contest in Puducherry in the last election, and is extending support to the DMK this time. Owaisi has maintained a consistent stance that his party does not contest elections in Kerala, citing the established presence of local minority-representation parties, namely the IUML in Kerala.
