Hyderabad: The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) led by Asaduddin Owaisi finally announced on Monday that it will not contest the Assembly elections in Karnataka. He declared support to former PM HD Deve Gowda’s Janata Dal (Secular) which is in pre-poll alliance with the Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
Owaisi said he will also campaign for the JD(S) ahead of the May 12 polls. “We will not contest the upcoming Karnataka elections, AIMIM will support the JD(S). I will address public meetings in support of the JD(S) if there is need,”Owaisi said.
MIM party has decided to support JD (S) party in Karnataka Assembly elections @hd_kumaraswamy we want non congress & non BJP govt in Karnataka for a qualitative development .MIM will not be fielding any candidates I will address public meetings support of JD(S) if there is need
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) April 16, 2018
Owaisi’s move came soon after Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao declaring his support to JD (S) a couple of days ago. KCR met JDS supremo Deve Gowda to seek his support for launching an “alternative movement” to bring qualitative change in the country, saying both Congress and BJP had failed to deliver. KCR said “It is not a silly political front, but an alliance of masses including farmers and poor people.” “There is a need for a movement because both BJP and Congress regimes in last seven decades have failed to deliver,” he added.
We will not contest in upcoming Karnataka elections, AIMIM will support JDS and will campaign for them. We feel both national parties have totally failed: Asaduddin Owaisi #KarnatakaElection2018 pic.twitter.com/wxQDgLjpl2
— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2018
However, secular voices from all the corners accusing the JD(S) and its supporters to be a B-team of the saffron party. Following 2004 elections when Congress, JD (S) coalition government broke down, BJP and JD(S) reached to a deal to form a new government. As per the deal, the chief ministership was to be shared between Kumaraswamy and BS Yeddyurappa for an equal period of time. The first chance at chief ministership was given to Kumarswamy, while Yeddyurappa served as his deputy. As part of a power-sharing agreement, Kumaraswamy was to leave the post of chief minister on 3 October 2007. But when the time came, he refused. This forced Yeddyurappa and all the ministers from his party to resign and on 5 October, the BJP formally withdrew support to the Kumaraswamy government.
Karnataka came under President’s rule, which was revoked on 7 November after JD(S) and the BJP decided to continue with the alliance and make Yeddyurappa the chief minister. Yeddyurappa was sworn in on 12 November 2007 as the Chief Minister of Karnataka.
Karnataka has a sizeable Muslim population and the ruling Congress was attempting to consolidate non-BJP votes. Owaisi’s support to JD (S) assured a major divide of Muslim votes in the region. Last month, the party had indicated that it would field candidates in the May 12 Assembly polls in Karnataka.
The state has 224 constituencies which will go to polls on May 12. The counting will take place on May 15. The campaigning for the Assembly polls is in full swing with Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and BJP president Amit Shah making multiple trips to the state.
Karnataka is witnessing a three-corner contest among the Congress, BJP and the H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular).
Siasat Web Team