MIM helped BJP-Shiv Sena win Maharashtra polls: Congress

Hyderabad: Former minister and ex-Leader of Opposition in Telangana Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir said that the Congress party has made an impressive comeback in the just-concluded Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana States. Similarly, the Congress party has performed well in the bye-elections for Assembly seats in 17 States, he said.

Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan on Friday, Shabbir Ali said that the Congress party not only won more number of seats this time, but its vote share too has increased significantly compared to 2014 elections. He said that the BJP has failed to lure voters in name of Article 370 or other emotional issues. He said that the voters gave preference to State issues and expressed faith in Congress party and its ally Nationalist Congress Party. He said Congress party was able to win three out of six Assembly seats in by-elections in Gujarat which clearly shows that the party was making a strong comeback and this would improve further in the days to come.

Commenting on Huzurnagar bye-election results, Shabbir Ali said that the TRS won the seat by misusing official machinery and through huge distribution of cash and liquor. "TRS victory in Huzurnagar is not genuine and everyone knows about it. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao has expressed over-excitement on a tampered verdict and fabricated result," he said adding that the Chief Minister addressed a press conference for over an hour to show as if his party got some certificate for its achievement. He said KCR shows an interest only in elections and not in the delivery of service to people. He said that the Chief Minister had no time to hold a review meeting on the spread of viral diseases, especially Dengue, across Telangana. He did not respond even when several people including a woman magistrate of Khammam died of Dengue. He said KCR kept all his ministers, legislators and official machinery busy in Huzurnagar by-polls.

Referring to the strong remarks made by the High Court on State Government's failure to control Dengue, Shabbir Ali said KCR was not in a mood to wake up from slumber. He also condemned KCR's remarks on Road Transport Corporation (RTC) and said a well-established public transport system could not be finished citing financial losses as the reason. He said RTC was not KCR's personal 'jagir' (fiefdom). He said it was the duty of the government to implement measures to bring RTC into profits instead of closing down the corporation. He accused KCR of humiliating the RTC employees who went to strike for their justified rights.

"MIM helped BJP-Shiv Sena win 21 seats in Maharashtra polls"

Shabbir Ali congratulated Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on his party winning two seats in Maharashtra and one seat in Bihar. Further, he congratulated Owaisi for helping BJP-Shiv Sena retain power in Maharashtra. Furnishing statistics, he said BJP-Shiv Sena alliance would not have got majority in Maharashtra without MIM's help. He said MIM had contested on 44 Seats in Maharashtra and won from Dhule and Malegaon Central. It also stood runner-up in 4 other seats. However, he said MIM helped BJP-Shiv Sena win 21 seats by dividing secular votes. "While 7 seats were lost due to direct division of votes, remaining 11 were lost due to polarisation. Four-time Congress MLA Arif Naseem Khan from Chandivali lost the election by just 409 votes due to MIM which got 1167 votes," he said.

The Congress leader said MIM never contested on 40 seats in Telangana. But it fielded 44 candidates in Maharashtra only to help the BJP-Shiv Sena combine by dividing secular votes. He said despite MIM's serious attempts, Congress and NCP managed to win 19 other seats. He appealed to the voters to reject MIM if they really dislike communalism. He said MIM was not only dividing secular votes but also helping BJP and its allies polarise voters. He said Owaisi was acting as a tool into the hands of Sangh Parivar and MIM has proved to be a B-team of BJP.

Shabbir Ali said small parties like MIM could only win one or two seats in any State, but they could not form the government on their own. However, by fielding candidates in selective constituencies, they are helping the BJP disrupt the winning chances of other secular parties. "Today BJP is encouraging communalism and hatred due to its governments at the Centre and States. Communal forces can be stopped only if there is a secular government," he said.

He said that the MIM was misleading the Muslim community by boasting about its victory on two seats in Maharashtra and one seat in Bihar. "As on today Congress party has the highest number of Muslim MLAs in the country. Of nearly 236 Muslims MLAs, about 76 MLAs belonging to the Congress party. With 10 just MLAs, MIM ranks 8th in terms of Muslim MLAs. As a secular party, Congress also has representatives of almost all castes and religions. Communal politics is neither good for the Muslim community nor for the country," he said.

Shabbir Ali said BJP Governments were targeting minorities across the country and MIM was helping BJP form governments. "Owaisi brothers are acting like 'Vote Katwas' and they are polarising the voters on communal lines. People should realise the danger parties like MIM pose to the society," he said.