Parties fail to field Muslim candidates despite courting votes

Asaduddin Owaisi criticized parties seeking Muslim votes but not fielding Muslim candidates in Maharashtra's Lok Sabha polls. He claimed that various parties united to defeat AIMIM's Imtiaz Jaleel in Aurangabad. Owaisi accused Chandrakant Khaire of choosing Muslim votes over Hindutva stance, while calling Uddhav Thackeray "newly secular."

All parties in Maharashtra want Muslim votes in the Lok Sabha polls but have not fielded candidates from the community, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi has said.

Addressing a rally in Amkhas Maidan here on Monday, Owaisi also claimed that various parties have come together to ensure the defeat of his Aurangabad MP Imtiaz Jaleel.

''Political parties are seeking votes of Muslims but could not find candidates from the community for any of the 48 seats in Maharashtra. They are not bothered about results elsewhere but two Shiv Sena, two NCPs and half Congress are here to defeat Jaleel,'' he claimed.

Criticising Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Chandrakant Khaire, the AIMIM chief said the former used to call himself a Hindutva leader but arrived at the Idgah here after realising the importance of (Muslim) voters.

''Those whose politics was earlier based on 'khan ya baan' (Muslims and Hindus) are now talking about namaz,'' he said.

Dubbing Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray as ''newly secular'', Owaisi said the former chief minister must clear his stand about Babri Masjid demolition and say whether it was a sin or not.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)