Why Muslim Votes Matter For BRS-AIMIM In Telangana Elections

Ruling BRS, its friendly ally AIMIM and the Congress are leaving no stone unturned to woo Muslim voters ahead of Telangana Assembly polls while the BJP, on the other hand, has raised the 'Hindutva' pitch.

Given that the Muslim population comprises roughly 12.7 per cent of the estimated 4.1 crore population in Telangana, securing Muslim votes holds significant importance for both the BRS and the Congress in their quest for power.

The Muslims play a key role in at least 40 constituencies out of 119 Assembly seats and play a deciding factor in Hyderabad, Nizamabad, Adilabad, Karimnagar, Medak, Mahabubnagar and Secunderabad districts.

The BRS and the AIMIM had the backing of the community in the 2014 and 2018 elections. While there isn't a formal alliance between BRS and AIMIM, the two share a friendly understanding.

With the Congress attacking the BRS as the BJP's b-team and accusing the AIMIM of having a secret alliance across the country to split Muslim votes, it would not be easy for the ruling government to win over the minority votes, this time.

Can BRS Retain Muslim Votes?

Though it does not have a strong Muslim leader, the BRS is relying on AIMIM leaders and its chief Asaduddin Owaisi. BRS is also counting on its welfare programs aimed at minorities to secure their votes in the upcoming elections.

To prevent the Muslims from voting for the Congress, the BRS Working President and minister in the Telangana government KT Rama Rao (KTR) has alleged that Telangana Congress chief Revanth Reddy has links with RSS and he would end up joining BJP after assembly elections.

"Revanth Reddy is the President of Pradesh Congress Committee. Who is Revanth Reddy? Captain Amarinder Singh, former Chief Minister of Punjab wrote a letter to Sonia Gandhi and asked her why she appointed a RSS man as PCC president," KTR said.

"Today, BJP says that we (BRS) is B-team of Congress. Congress says that we (BRS) is B-team of BJP. Why should we be B-team? We are always A-team of Telangana people. If there is a B-team in the state, it is the Congress Party President, the RSS man who is joined with BJP. I tell you today, after elections, Congress may win 10-12 seats. Revanth Reddy will join BJP with those 10-12 people. It is definite that he will jump into BJP," he added.

Recently, KTR issued a challenge to Reddy, urging him to publicly state that he has never been associated with the RSS and that he holds no hostility towards Muslims.

In another event, Owaisi accused the TPCC president of echoing the rhetoric of RSS and following the writings of its leaders such as Golwalkar and Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay. He also alleged that in his early years, Revanth Reddy was associated with the ABVP, the RSS and BJP.

He claimed that in 1999, Reddy collaborated with BJP's Kishan Reddy against MIM in the Karwan constituency.

Which Party Will The Muslims Choose In 2023?

In recent weeks, Muslim organizations in Telangana have been engaged in discussions to determine which party to support in the upcoming Assembly elections - the Congress or the BRS.

Sources have told The Hindu the Telangana and Odisha chapters of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind established a committee some weeks ago to analyze the political landscape and public sentiment throughout the state. The organization has conducted internal deliberations to assess the pledges made by the ruling BRS before prior elections, analyzing the extent to which these promises were fulfilled, as well as scrutinizing policy creation and implementation since the establishment of Telangana.

"The empowerment of Muslims was discussed. Also, the law and order in the State, that there have been no major communal riots, were also spoken about," the daily quoted a source familiar with the developments as saying.

On the other hand, Congress is making efforts to regain the Muslim votes it lost in recent years. Political observers are closely monitoring whether Congress, by relinquishing the traditional seven seats of the old city to AIMIM, can secure the majority of Muslim votes in other constituencies.

Political analysts say that it all boils down to how Muslims perceive which party can effectively protect their interests.