A day after Eid al-Fitr, on April 12, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi hit the roads in the old city of Hyderabad to campaign for next month’s Lok Sabha polls.
Walking through the narrow streets of the old city in his constituency, Owaisi appealed to people to ensure AIMIM’s victory for another term.
Holding a microphone in the hand, the MP was seen shaking hands with people, extending Eid greetings and urging them to continue their support of the AIMIM.
As part of his paidaldaura, Owaisi conducted door to door campaign in Kamataipura, Osman Bagh and Bandlaguda areas, which are part of Bahadurpura Assembly segment.
At many places, AIMIM supporters garlanded him. He also stopped at a road-side eatery to have some snacks and interacted with people.
Accompanied by AIMIM leaders and workers, Owaisi greeted people and even posed for photographs with them. The AIMIM chief was accompanied by his son Mohammed Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi.
Owaisi, who launched various development programmes before Ramadan, launched his campaign with padyatra soon after the end of the holy month.
Hyderabad and 16 other Lok Sabha seats in Telangana are going to polls on May 13.
The AIMIM chief is seeking re-election for a fifth consecutive term. With the party retaining six out of seven Assembly segments in the recent elections, Owaisi appears to be sitting pretty to retain the seat.
In Assembly elections held in November 2023, AIMIM retained Charminar, Yakutpura, Chandrayangutta, Bahadurpura, Malakpet and Kawarn seats which come under Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency. The BJP retained its only Assembly seat Goshamahal.
In 2019, Owaisi retained the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat with a majority of 2.82 lakh votes against his nearest rival Bhagvanth Rao of BJP. The difference between the same rivals in 2014 was 2.02 lakh votes.
The party overcame many challenges to maintain its grip on the constituency for 40 years.
Asaduddin Owaisi’s father Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi won the seat for the first time in 1984. He was elected to Lok Sabha six times. In 1996 he defeated BJP’s senior leader M. Venkaiah Naidu.
Salahuddin Owaisi opted out in 2004 due to ill-health and since then Asaduddin Owaisi has been representing the constituency.
The delimitation of constituencies in 2008 helped the party further consolidate itself. As three urban Assembly segments replaced the rural segments which were earlier part of the Hyderabad parliamentary constituency, AIMIM became virtually invincible.
The party’s strength in the Assembly also rose to seven, from its earlier highest tally of five.
The BJP, which is looking to give a tough fight to Owaisi, has fielded Madhavi Latha, a businesswoman and philanthropist, from Hyderabad.
A professional Bharatanatyam dancer, Madhavi Latha joined the BJP after she was named the saffron party candidate.
The BJP had never fielded a woman in Hyderabad. Said to be active in philanthropic activities in parts of the old city and known for her pro-Hindutva speeches, Madhavi Latha also campaigned against triple talaq. She is said to be in touch with various Muslim women groups.