Former MP Imtiaz Jaleel of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) expressed the party’s interest in forming an alliance with the opposition’s Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) for the upcoming Maharashtra state assembly elections, according to a report by news agency PTI. Jaleel emphasized that the primary goal is to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is part of the ruling Mahayuti coalition, alongside Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction of Shiv Sena and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). When asked about the party’s stance on aligning with the Hindutva-preaching Shiv Sena (UBT) within the MVA, Jaleel said, “The BJP has harmed the country, so we want to keep them out of power by any means.” He made these remarks during an interview with Marathi news channel ABP Majha following a party meeting in Mumbai.
In response to a question about the possibility of an alliance in Maharashtra, Jaleel reiterated that AIMIM had proposed this during the Lok Sabha elections and is extending the offer to MVA again, aiming to defeat the BJP.
However, he added that it is up to the MVA to decide whether to include AIMIM in the alliance. Jaleel noted that if the MVA believes AIMIM has electoral strength and a significant vote bank, they would consider the alliance; otherwise, they would not. He further stated that AIMIM would contest the elections independently if the offer is not accepted.
Jaleel criticized the ruling Mahayuti government’s ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme, dismissing it as a mere strategy to garner votes in the upcoming elections. He questioned Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s sudden realization of having many sisters in the state, arguing that the financial assistance to women is just a political deal rather than a genuine concern for their welfare. Jaleel also made it clear that AIMIM would not form an alliance with the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), which had contested 35 seats in the 2024 general elections in Maharashtra and supported the MVA but failed to win a single seat. Both AIMIM and VBA were not aligned with either the NDA or the India bloc for the 2024 general elections.
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- Aryan Gulati is a dedicated media student based in Meerut with a wealth of experience in various newspapers and media houses. He has numerous published articles and specializes in political and crime news writing, demonstrating a strong commitment to impactful journalism.
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