Hyderabad: The electoral contest in Hyderabad’s Old City is becoming more interesting with each passing day. Soon after the speculation that sitting MLA Mumtaz Ahmed Khan may join Congress were put to rest, the filing of nomination by AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi’s son Dr Nooruddin Owaisi from Chandrayangutta constituency has ruffled many feathers.
On Wednesday, November 8, the father-son duo, along with a handful of confidants filed nominations with the returning officer of Chandrayangutta constituency at Bandlaguda Tahsildar office. Akbaruddin Owaisi and Dr Nooruddin Owaisi quietly arrived at the venue, filed the nominations, and left the spot.
Soon after the news of Akbaruddin filing the nomination from Chandrayangutta started doing rounds, some journalists found two names mentioned in the official press communiqué sent to them from the election authorities. Upon verification, it was found that both of them had filed nominations as AIMIM candidates. Soon after that, the affidavit filed by Nooruddin was widely shared in the media circles.
Generally, the candidates have a backup nominee in case their nomination papers are rejected for any reasons. In such circumstances, the backup candidate, who is linked with the political party or main candidate, contests the elections. Similarly, AIMIM has nominated Akbaruddin Owaisi’s son Nooruddin as a ‘backup candidate’.
This has given rise to more speculations on whether Akbaruddin will vacate the Chandrayangutta seat for his son at the eleventh hour and contest from Bahadurpura instead.
According to the rules, any person is declared an official candidate only after he submits the B-form before the last date of withdrawal for the nomination (November 15 for Telangana polls).
It is noteworthy that no other candidate of AIMIM — Jaffar Hussain Meraj ( Yakutpura), Kausar Mohiuddin (Karwan), Ahmed Bin Abdullah Balala (Malakpet), or Mohd Majid Hussain (Nampally) — has any ‘backup candidate’.
The AIMIM so far has not announced its official candidate from Bahadurpura constituency. Political observers say the things will clear up once the Bahadurpura candidate is announced.
