BREAKING | Congress Supports Asaduddin Owaisi in Hyderabad, BJP's Madhavi Latha Responds

New Delhi: Ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha elections, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has launched a third front with the support of Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) and other parties which is believed to dent INDI's prospects in states like Uttar Pradesh. However, in Hyderabad, Asaduddin Owaisi's family bastion, Congress and AIMIM have arrived at a consensus ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. 

On the question of Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency, where the Congress is yet to declare any candidate, Telangana Congress General Secretary Feroz Khan said that the grand old party will soon announce its candidate, adding that people must understand that there is an understanding between the Congress and AIMIM. 

"There is an understanding between AIMIM and Congress party. The candidates for the Khammam and Hyderabad seats will be finalised soon. The announcement will be made in a couple of days," said the Telangana Congress leader. Asked if he will contest, Feroz Khan said, “I am not in the race, the high command will decide.”

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Owaisi had emerged victorious and gained over 59 per cent votes, while the Congress candidate struggled for small percentage of votes. The general election in Telangana will be held on May 13 to elect 17 members of the 18th Lok Sabha

Finish BRS, KCR: Why Congress Decided to Back AIMIM 

Congress has been accusing Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM of being the “B-team of BJP” and the understanding between the two may come as a surprise to many. 

Feroz Khan said that there has been an understanding between the Congress party and AIMIM in the state as they together wish to take on KCR-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). "When the BRS party was in power they wanted to finish the Congress party and purchased our MP and MLAs," alleged Khan, adding that AIMIM is with Congress' Telangana CM Revanth Reddy in finishing the BRS. “This compromise between Congress and AIMIM is because we want to finish the BRS,” said Khan. 

“Congress is the most powerful party in Telangana and it will be winning more than 13 seats here, while the AIMIM will win one,” said Khan. 

BJP's Madhavi Latha Responds to Cong-AIMIM Alliance 

The Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded 49-year-old classical dancer and entrepreneur K Madhavi Latha against Asaduddin Owaisi. 

On reports of Congress arriving at an understanding with the AIMIM, BJP candidate for Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat Latha said, “Congress was in alliance with AIMIM but claims that its is BJP's B Team, CPI is part of INDI Alliance in Bengal but not in Kerala, AAP has alliance in Delhi but not in Punjab. The problem with Congress is that its not clear what to do.”

On being fielded by BJP, Madhavi Latha, who has been working for years in the old city, said, “I was very clear that if given an opportunity, it's only the Old City that I am interested to fight from. I wanted this, I got this and I am clear about this. I have been born and brought up in that place, I'm emotionally attached to the place and I'm emotionally attached for all those underdevelopment works that have happened there."

Hyderabad: An Owaisi Bastion 

The Hyderabad constituency, comprising mainly the old city of Hyderabad with a predominantly Muslim population, has been an AIMIM bastion. Asaduddin Owaisi has so far won the constituency for four terms since 2004. 

Prior to him, his father Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi had represented Hyderabad in the Lok Sabha for six consecutive terms between 1984 and 2004. Salahuddin Owaisi and Asaduddin had represented the old city in the Legislative Assembly as well.