Owaisi's AIMIM will not contest Karnataka Elections: Reports

With less than a month left for the state elections, some reports are claiming that Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) will not contest the Karnataka Assembly elections. This will come as a relief to the Congress as there were fears that AIMIM might eat into the grand old party's Muslim vote bank.

An India Today report said that AIMIM feels that contest Karnataka elections might harm 'secular parties' contesting the election.

In January, OneIndia had reported that AIMIM would contest at least 60 seats in the upcoming Karnataka Assembly Elections and that the party had officially begun the process of identifying constituencies and shortlisting candidates.

"We have already identified 28 constituencies in North Karnataka where our candidates will contest. We are in the process of identifying constituencies in South Karnataka. Our candidates have already been shortlisted. Final name list will be drawn soon, In all, we will contest in 60 seats," said Usman Ghani, the Karnataka Unit chief of AIMIM had said in January.

The AIMIM's venture into Karnataka electoral politics was expected to eat into Congress' vote share that draws its support from AHINDA (an acronym for Minorities, Backward Classes and Dalits) of which Muslims form a huge chunk.

Earlier this month, talks were doing rounds that former prime minister Devegowda's Janata Dal-Secular (JD (S)) was looking to join hands with All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). JD(S) leader P G R Sindhia had confirmed that his party was in talks with Asaduddin Owaisi for a formal tie-up ahead of the polls.