Poll campaigns for Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) intensified as voting date is approaching. The fight, as it seems so far, is between AAP and ruling BJP but small parties are also making effort to breach vote banks of traditional rival parties.
The Hyderabad-based AIMIM and Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad's outfit Azad Samaj Party (ASP) on Friday announced they will contest on 100 wards in the minority and Dalit-dominated pockets of the city.
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) headed by Asaduddin Owaisi will contest 68 of the 100 wards, while ASP will fight the polls in 32 wards, leaders of the two parties announced in a press conference.
"The decision to fight the MCD polls together by the two parties was approved by their heads Asaduddin Owasi and Chandra Shekhar Aazad," AIMIM Delhi unit president Kaleemul Hafeez said.
Both the BJP and AAP have "completely neglected" the areas where Muslims and Dalits live in Delhi, Hafeez alleged.
Muslims constitute 15 per cent, and Dalits 16 per cent of the total population in Delhi, he said.
The entry of AIMIM in Delhi's politics through MCD polls will be interesting to watch as the minority voters influence the poll results in 10 Assembly segments in Delhi.
Muslim voters are considered a strong votebank of the Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) led by Arvind Kejriwal, some of whose actions such as recommending photos of Hindu deities, Laxmi and Ganesha, on banknotes have been lambasted as "soft Hindutva."
ASP’s Delhi In-charge Bhiku Ram Jain said that if Muslims and Dalits come together no political party will afford to ignore them.
The 'Hissedari Morcha' formed by the two outfits is also joined by Liberal Party of India.
"The Morcha will contest the MCD polls with all its might and teach a befitting lesson to the BJP and AAP that have betrayed the people," Jain said.
The AIMIM had contested the civic body polls on nine wards in 2017 and lost all.
This time the party intends to field its candidates on wards with sizeable Muslim pockets, such as Okhla, Matia Mahal, Seelampur, Mustafabad, Ballimaran, Babarpur, Sadar Bazar, and other such constituencies, said leaders of the party.
Delhi has 12 reserved Assembly constituencies including Mangolpuri, Sultanpur Majra, Karol Bagh, Patel Nagar, Madipur, Deoli, Ambedkar Nagar, where the ASP is likely to field its candidates.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and other party leaders, including Waris Pathan, are expected to campaign for the party in the MCD polls, said its leaders.
The voting for 250 wards of Delhi will be held on December 4. Counting of votes will take place on December 7. Out of 250 wards, 42 are reserved for SC candidates.
(With PTI input)
