Asaduddin Owaisi’s party Majlis has become a force in Delhi, as Muslims, Dalits, and other oppressed communities are joining the party — a welcome development, said All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Delhi president Kaleem Ul Hafeez.
He said this as the party has decided to take political plunge in Delhi Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) election. Those who wish to contest the election on a Majlis ticket should submit their applications as soon as possible, Hafeez said.
“We all have increasing responsibilities, and we all share the same goal — to elect as many Majlis corporators as possible and get the opportunity to serve the people of Delhi,” he added.
The opposition political parties are scared of the Majlis, he claimed, adding that the party will nominate honest and hard-working candidates. Abdul Ghaffar Siddiqui, the organisational secretary, and Muhammad Shah Alam, the general secretary, were also present at the event along with other members.
Since becoming the president of AIMIM Delhi, Hafeez has been working tirelessly to expand Asaduddin Owaisi’s party based in the capital, especially ahead of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections. However, it is too early to predict how successful he will be.
A businessman by profession, Hafeez is projecting himself as a Muslim leader. Before joining AIMIM, he was associated with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi. Political observers say it will be interesting to see whether he runs the party like a political leader or a businessman. Besides running a hotel in Delhi, Hafeez claims to operate a private school in his hometown in Uttar Pradesh.
A political observer pointed out that after failing to get a top position in the AAP, he quit the party to join AIMIM, a claim that the OT was unable to verify independently.
The biggest challenge for Hafeez is keeping party workers united in Okhla and across Delhi as some resentment has emerged over him being perceived as an outsider and being made the party’s State president.
Nonetheless, Hafeez remains confident that under his leadership, the party will improve its performance this time. “As the election draws nearer, our responsibilities are increasing,” he said.
According to political observer Javed Khan, AIMIM’s decision to contest the MCD elections is likely to bring a tectonic shift in Delhi politics, particularly in Muslim-dominated wards.
“Seats where Congress and AAP could face challenges include Muslim-dominated areas in Okhla, Mustafabad, Old Delhi, and other wards. Asaduddin Owaisi has wide appeal among youngsters. However, it is too early to draw conclusions, as this is just the beginning. Much will depend on whom the party selects as candidates. Since it is a new party in Delhi, a lot depends on the candidates’ popularity in their respective localities,” he said.
With AIMIM’s entry, the contest is expected to intensify in Okhla’s wards — Abul Fazal Enclave and Zakir Nagar — both strongholds of AAP and Congress. Congress Councillor Shoaib Danish is well-positioned in Zakir Nagar but will face anti-incumbency, having served two consecutive terms.
Meanwhile, AAP is expected to face a tough fight in Abul Fazal Enclave, a part of the Okhla constituency, which has been an AAP bastion since Amanatullah Khan’s first victory in 2015, when he defeated Asif Mohammad Khan of the Congress.
