Hyderabad: The Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) is likely to be part of the INDIA Alliance at national level soon and will play a key role in the Telangana politics.
Sources said the ruling Congress is aiming to check All India Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) with the help of Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT). It is expected to join hands with MBT as part of the strategy to exert influence in Hyderabad city as well as some constituencies of the State.
Although this proposal was made before the Assembly elections, its implementation was not possible at that time, sources said. Now it seems that the state Congress leaders are trying to implement the proposal. As a part of these efforts, Congress is also considering to allot the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat to MBT in the upcoming general elections. Before giving the opportunity, Congress wants to include MBT in the INDIA Alliance at the national level, thereby promoting the party at the national level as a counter to the AIMIM.
AIMIM which has worked with the Congress before the formation of the Telangana state has become an opponent of the grand old party in view of the changed political alignments after the formation of the state. It challenged the Congress in all situations by using its strength and power as a platform in the Old Town.
The AIMIM, which was an ally of the ruling BRS for almost ten years, is continuing the same path even after the Congress came to power in the state. There was no change in AIMIM’s attitude towards Congress before and after the Assembly elections.
In this context, the state leadership of the Congress decided to counter the AIMIM, which provided an additional strength to the BRS. It is preparing to challenge AIMIM from the start of the parliamentary elections and in all the elections to be held in the future.
In the recently held Assembly elections, MBT and Congress faced off against AIMIM in two constituencies – Yakutpura and Nampally – in Hyderabad. Both candidates, MBT’s Amjedullah Khan (Yakutpura) and Congress Feroz Khan (Nampally) lost by a very narrow margin. However, now that the Congress has come to power, its leaders are expecting that by promoting MBT, they can capture the votes of Muslim minorities on a large scale in those two as well as the remaining five Assembly constituencies of Hyderabad.
Both MBT and Congress believe that their success in this struggle hinges on restraining AIMIM to a certain extent in the Lok Sabha elections. They anticipate that by achieving this, they will be better equipped to counter AIMIM effectively in the subsequent GHMC elections.
Congress leaders think they can check AIMIM only when we their party is in power and if they take MBT on board, results can get better.
Actually, before that election, there were talks about an alliance with MBT before the Assembly elections. The present state Congress affairs incharge Deepas Munshi, who came as an AICC observer at that time, met MBT leader Amjedullah Khan two to three times, source said.
MBT spokesperson and leader Amjedullah Khan is also mulling upon considering the option although there is no confirmation from MBT on the development. Congress leaders and sympathisers in the Old City are also welcoming this proposal.
