RS polls 2022: AIMIM supports MVA; lays down terms, demands reservation for Muslims

AIMIM president Asauddin Owaisi on Friday announced his party's support for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the Maharashtra Rajya Sabha elections. AIMIM MLA Imtiaz Jaleel held a series of meetings with MVA leaders on Thursday before agreeing to vote for the MVA candidates. In the meeting, Imtiaz Jaleel listed certain conditions to the MVA leaders.  The meeting came after AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi was approached by MVA leaders for discussion in relation to the Rajya Sabha polls.

AIMIM MP from Maharashtra's Aurangabad, Imtiaz Jaleel, tweeted that they laid down certain conditions in front of MVA. Jaleel said that in return for the support in RS polls, conditions were laid related to the development of its MLAs' constituencies in Dhule and Malegaon.

AIMIM demanded that the state government appoints a minority member to the Maharashtra Public Services Commission (MPSC) and take steps to increase the income of the Maharashtra Wakf Board. AIMIM also demanded reservations for Muslims. 

However, it is uncertain whether MVA agreed to all conditions listed by AIMIM leaders. It is pertinent to note that All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has two MLAs in the 288-member Maharashtra assembly.

AIMIM to vote for Congress candidate Imran Pratapgarhi

aleel tweeted, “With an aim to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has extended support to Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and will vote for Congress candidate Imran Pratapgarhi in the Rajya Sabha elections in Maharashtra.

Maharashtra Rajya Sabha election 2022

After more than two decades, Maharashtra will witness a contest in the Rajya Sabha polls as there are seven candidates in the fray for six Rajya Sabha seats. The polling process started at 9 a.m. and is set to end at 4 p.m.

Union minister Piyush Goyal, Anil Bonde, Dhananjay Mahadik (BJP), Praful Patel (NCP), Sanjay Raut, Sanjay Pawar (Shiv Sena), and Imran Pratapgarhi (Congress) are in the fray for the six seats. The contest is for the sixth seat - between BJP's Dhananjay Mahadik and Shiv Sena's Sanjay Pawar.

Both MVA parties and BJP are banking on the 25 additional votes of smaller parties and Independents for the sixth seat. Notably, there are three ministers in the cabinet from smaller parties/Independents.