Winning five seats in the Bihar elections has surely given the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) renewed confidence. The party is preparing the ground to contest in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections next year. After successfully contesting in the elections in Bihar, when asked if the party would contest in West Bengal, party chief Asaduddin Owaisi had declared that they would not only contest in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, but also wherever MIM can become the voice of the voiceless.
Speaking to TNM, Vakeel Ahmed, the Tamil Nadu State President of the AIMIM, said that the party is carrying out a survey in the state. He said, “A survey is underway to identify where all we can fight and win. We will contest approximately 25 to 30 seats. In north Tamil Nadu, we have a stronghold. In Madurai, Krishnagiri, Vellore and Tirupattur we are getting good support. We had contested from the Vaniyambadi seat last time.”
Asaduddin Owaisi told TNM that the party has not finalised the number of seats it will be contesting as yet. When asked about a possible alliance in Tamil Nadu, he said, “The political equations in the state will be decided by the state unit of the party.”
There have already been allegations about Owaisi’s party being a vote splitter, especially in states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala where there are already political parties representing the interests of the Muslim community. Reacting to this charge, Owaisi said, “Whatever we do we’ll be blamed. Getting blamed is not at all an issue for me. We’ll have to wait and see what unfolds with respect to any alliance.”
Speaking about a possible alliance in Tamil Nadu, Vakeel Ahmed said, “We’re in talks with some political parties. The AIADMK is not even an option as it’s in an alliance with the BJP. A third front is also a possibility. We are in talks, everything will be revealed at the right time.”