Owaisi aims to harvest anti-BJP votes in State
Testing the electoral waters in Tamil Nadu where his party, AIMIM, has joined hands with the AMMK, Asaduddin Owaisi has reached the State to strengthen the party’s presence.
Focusing on the constituencies that has substantial number of Muslim voters, the party president would meet key leaders of the community from Chennai, Vellore, Ambur, Ranipet and Ramanathapuram districts, said sources.
Along with the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), another Muslim outfit in the AMMK alliance that has agreed to work on the same platform, AIMIM is trying to capture the minority vote banks of the ruling AIADMK and the opposition DMK.
As part of the campaign strategy, these parties are dispatching Tamil-Urdu speakers trained in political rhetoric to counter the plans charted by the think tanks of RSS and the DMK.
“Seats like Harbour in Chennai, Vellore, Vaniyambadi and Ramanathapuram are becoming dicey to predict after the AIMIM and SDPI joined AMMK,” admitted a DMK insider from Harbour constituency. These are traditional strongholds of DMK, which has roped in Indian Union Muslim League and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi. However, if AIMIM and SDPI split the minority votes, the result may change for the DMK, he said.
Owaisi and SDPI leaders have asked their party functionaries to work for the AMMK and seek votes from the minorities and downtrodden.
“This would help us to secure more votes and brighten the winning chances,” said AMMK Harbour constituency candidate Santhana Krishnan. “Also, we have got the cooker symbol back and several AIADMK workers are approaching us,” said the former corporation councillor, who is also the AMMK district secretary.
“After SDPI and AIMIM allied with the AMMK, we are the natural choice for those affected by BJP and its anti-Tamil Nadu policies. Both SDPI and AIMIM are parties that consist of youngsters; we will reach out to every voter affected by the Centre’s policies like GST, demonetisation and CAA,” said Tehlan Baqavi, vice president, SDPI.
“After elections, DMK may align with BJP-led Centre, but we will not do such a political blunder in the Dravidian State,” Baqavi added
