Hyderabad, March 24 (IANS) The Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) Tuesday announced that party president Asaduddin Owaisi will seek re-election from the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat as it named candidates for one parliamentary and for four assembly constituencies in the state capital. It has also named a Hindu as candidate for the first time.
Asaduddin's brother Akbaruddin Owaisi, who is the leader of MIM in the state assembly, has been fielded again from Chandrayangutta assembly constituency. The party has also retained Mumtaz Ahmed Khan from Yakutpura.
Former legislator Virasat Rasool Khan is the MIM candidate from the newly created constituency of Nampally.
In a move to counter criticism that it is a communal party, MIM has fielded a Hindu from another assembly constituency in Greater Hyderabad. Murali Reddy will contest from Rajendernagar.
MIM leaders said that candidates for other constituencies would be announced later. The party had five members in the 294-member assembly. The party is likely to retain the legislators from Charminar and Karwan constituencies.
The party, which enjoys considerable support in the Muslim-majority old city, is trying to strengthen itself in other areas of the state capital. It is confident of improving its tally to seven in the next month's elections as new constituencies with considerable Muslim voters have come into being due to the delimitation process.
The number of assembly constituencies in Greater Hyderabad has increased from 13 to 15 due to delimitation. Seven assembly segments each come under Hyderabad and Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituencies while one assembly segment Secunderabad Cantonment falls in Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency.
Three assembly segments Himayatnagar, Asifnagar and Maharajgunj have disappeared while five new segments Amberpet, Jubilee Hills, Nampally, Goshamahal and Bahadurpura came into being. Khairatabad, the biggest segment in the country with 750,000 voters has been downsized with voter strength of 217,000.
Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat, which earlier had three assembly segments in the neighbouring Ranga Reddy district, has been reorganized with all seven urban constituencies.
Asaduddin Owaisi, who took over as the party president after the death of his father and former MP Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi, will be contesting from Hyderabad for the second consecutive term.
The party is confident of retaining the seat for the eighth consecutive term as the number of Muslim votes has increased from 50 percent to over 70 percent this time due to delimitation.
The young leader is facing a challenge from Zahid Ali Khan, editor of Urdu daily Siasat. Khan is being supported by the opposition alliance, which includes Telugu Desam Party and the two communist parties.
Salahuddin Owaisi represented Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat since 1984 before making way for his elder son in the 2004 elections.
Simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections will be held in Andhra Pradesh - April 16 and 23.
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