MIM announces 14 candidates for Gujarat Assembly polls

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) will field 14 candidates in the upcoming Gujarat Assembly polls.

AIMIM Gujarat State president Sabir Kabliwala on Friday tweeted a list of candidates from Mandvi, Bhuj, Vadgam, Sidhdhapur, Vejalpur, Bapunagar, Dariyapur, Jamalpur Khadiya, Danilimda, Khambhadiya, Mangrol, Limbayat, Surat East and Godhara constituencies.

Mr Kabliwala, a former legislator, expressed confidence that the party’s candidates would win with a “good margin”.

“We have been working in Gujarat much before the announcement of the Assembly elections. Booth-level committees were constituted and strengthened, and mentoring was done. We have focused our energies on that State now given the coming elections. Our party president has addressed several public meetings there. We are working on the issue of civic amenities, education and other issues,” said a Hyderabad-based party functionary.

Meanwhile, a team of AIMIM corporators, including Mohammed Naseeruddin and Fahad bin Abdul Samad Abdaat, from Hyderabad reached Gujarat and interacted with party workers and candidates there.

According to an AIMIM functionary, party president Asaduddin Owaisi will embark on yet another round of campaigning beginning November 19. Mr Owaisi’s schedule includes a padyatra, in Jamalpur Khadiya Assembly constituency, and a public meeting near the Katch ki Masjid. On November 20 and November 21, he will address public meetings in Dariyapur and Danilimbda Assembly constituencies.

Earlier this month, Mr Owaisi addressed a public meeting in Surat where he tore into the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and the Aam Aadmi Party. He urged the public to vote for AIMIM. The Hyderabad parliamentarian continued with his criticism of the economically weaker sections (EWS) quota. He also urged the Dalit and Adivasi communities to think about how the quota would impact them, and claimed that it would bring about an end of caste-based reservations. Mr Owaisi said apart from the dalits and adivasis, the backward Muslims are the economically the weakest .

Mr Owaisi also criticised the possibility of a uniform civil code being implemented in Gujarat and also sought to know why the disturbed areas act in Gujarat was not being removed.