The BJP will not be able to repeat its Hyd municipal body election success in the 2023 Assembly elections in Telangana, said Asaduddin Owaisi, president of the All India Majlis-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) on Friday. Speaking to the media after the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections were declared on Friday, the Hyderabad MP dismissed the inroads made by the BJP, pointing out how the party was unable to make inroads into Old City as well as in other elections held in other parts of the country.
"Where is the storm? Had there been a storm, BJP wouldn’t have lost in the Maharashtra MLC elections. BJP had said they would conduct a surgical strike in Old City, but they couldn’t do anything in my area. We did a democratic strike. We contested in 51 seats and won 44. Think what would have happened had AIMIM contested in 80 seats," said Owaisi.
“We are confident that the people of Telangana will stop BJP from expanding its footprints in the state,” he added.
In the GHMC poll results announced on Friday, TRS won 55 seats, AIMIM won 44, and the BJP managed to secure 48 seats. The Telangana Congress managed to win only 2 seats. Owaisi said his party has shown better performance in 2020 than in 2016, when they contested 60 seats and won 44 seats. Owaisi said he has spoken to all the newly elected corporators and asked them to begin their work from Saturday itself.
The Hyderabad MP also heaped praise on the Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, calling KCR a formidable political face in south India and that he represents the ideology, hopes and aspiration of the people of Telangana.
Owaisi expressed hope that KCR will be bhaari (heavy) on the BJP and put up a challenge to the rise of BJP in the state. Speaking on the Mayor post, Owaisi said a decision will be taken after consultation with members of his party.