The most Intelligent game-changer in Indian politics is known as Asaduddin Owaisi. He has emerged as a rather controversial figure amongst Muslims. A politician who has inherited the All India Muslim Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, Asaduddin Owaisi has a committed fan following and yet invites huge scepticism and criticism from within the community and outside.
It is the last that has raised eyebrows across as young persons have been arrested for a cartoon or a joke, whereas Owaisi manages to get away with his rather provocative speeches with the BJP keeping him out of their target zone. This has led the skeptics to allege that Owaisi is a mole of the ruling party, and is fielded to cut into the opposition votes in crucial elections. Owaisi of course, hotly denies these charges but sometimes figures start to speak for themselves.
His foray into Uttar Pradesh has been the most expansive as yet. Owaisi does not seem to care about winning and losing but chooses his constituencies with care. In the wake of reports that the Muslims were looking at a consolidation behind the Samajwadi Party, Owaisi entered the UP Assembly election with a record 95 candidates. In the last Assembly polls in 2017 he had fielded 38 candidates and secured just 0.24% of the votes. This time he has just 0.49% of the votes, with all his candidates losing their deposits.
- Bijnor:
BJP – 97165
RLD – 95720
AIMIM – 2290 - Nakur:
BJP – 104114
SP – 103799
AIMIM – 3593 - Kursi:
BJP – 118720
SP – 118503
AIMIM – 8541 - Sultanpur:
BJP – 92715
SP – 91706
AIMIM – 5251 - Aurai:
BJP – 93691
SP – 92044
AIMIM – 2190 - Firozabad:
BJP – 112509
SP – 79554
AIMIM – 18898
In UP too in many of the constituencies the Muslims spoke of supporting him, albeit in small percentages as the final results have revealed. In key constituencies the AIMMM cut sufficient votes to bring the BJP to power with narrow margins of a few hundred votes.
Is this then the purpose for Owaisi’s existence in the electoral field? He and his supporters continue to deny this, but this does not silence those pointing fingers that were raised also in Bihar where he contested 20 seats, as against six in 2015 and secured just 1.24% of the votes cast; or in Maharashtra where he fielded 44 candidates in the 2019 polls (as against 24 earlier) and secured just 1.34 % of the votes; and in Uttarakhand this time around with his four candidates getting just 0.03% of the votes. Owaisi fields candidates from seats where the Muslims have a significant presence, although he insists he is secular.
But perhaps the last word can go to BJP MP from Kaiserganj Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh who while campaigning for his son and BJP candidate from Gonda recently, described Owaisi as Lord Ram’s descendant and claimed that he was a Kshatriya earlier. #KhabarLive #hydnews