Hard political calculations behind the KCR-Asaduddin Owaisi ‘friendship’ in Telangana

That the AIMIM contests in elections all over the country is a different ball game altogether.

Also read: KTR and Owaisi Jr review development plans for Old Hyderabad

The AIMIM question

The AIMIM adopted the same approach of “I scratch your back and you scratch mine” when the Congress was in power between 2004 to 2014.

Here also, the Congress gained in the rest of Telangana as AIMIM left them open to the grand old party and the former let the latter have a free run of the old city.

Now and then, the AIMIM says it is an Opposition party.

It hurls barbs at the BRS for the lack of development in the old city. But when the dusk settles, they are pally.

In fact, on some occasions, both KCR and AIMIM acknowledged the fact they were friends.

When elections take place, the BRS no doubt fields candidates in the seven Assembly segments “reserved” for the AIMIM in the old city, but it is only for the “record purpose” that it considers AIMIM as an Opposition party.

The candidates are usually for namesake — neither the BRS nor the AIMIM takes them seriously.

Also read: BRS dissidents weigh new option in Telangana

AIMIM vs BRS

Now and then, one gets to see the BRS and the AIMIM leaders in serious verbal duels.

Not very long ago, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, at a public meeting in Sangareddy, warned the ruling party against taking his party’s friendly relations for granted.

The BJP leaders dismissed it as an elaborate public charade to dispel the notion that the BRS and the AIMIM are very thick friends to the detriment of the Hindu voters moving away from the BRS.

But when the crunch comes, they are buddies — the BRS helps the AIMIM out, like when it did in the election of AIMIM candidates in the MLC elections held not very long ago.

When BRS is in trouble under attack from the BJP, AIMIM comes to its rescue. When the BJP called the newly built secretariat one that resembled the Taj Mahal, implying that KCR was pandering to the Muslims, AIMIM had said on the contrary the structure looked more like a temple.

It remains to be seen how the AIMIM would go to the BRS’ rescue, should the Congress rise in Telangana.

Related: BJP will abolish Muslim reservation in Telangana: Amit Shah

Muslim voters in Telangana

According to World Population Review, the population of Telangana is approximately 3.96 crore and the percentage of Muslims in it is 12.7, which means that about 50 lakh Muslims are living in Telangana.

In Hyderabad, according to the estimate of World Urbanisation Prospects of the UN, 41 percent of the population of 108,01,163 is Muslim.

They are highly concentrated in the old city and they have a fair sprinkling in other parts of the city like in the Rajendranagar Assembly segment.

Already some voices are being heard that the AIMIM might field its candidates outside Telangana too in case there is a danger of a shift of Muslims to the grand old party.

This is on account of the changing belief of the Muslims that the regional parties’ anti-BJP credentials cannot be trusted.

Also read: BRS guns fall silent against the BJP. What is the reason?

Muslim votes moving away?

In Karnataka, a significant chunk of Muslim voters moved away from JD(S), as HD Kumaraswamy began orbiting around the BJP.

In Telangana, too, the BRS has rested its guns at the BJP, making the Muslims wonder if KCR had capitulated to the saffron party, and if they begin to believe in their fears they might move to the Congress.

According to an analyst, when the Congress becomes a threat to the BRS, the AIMIM might help the BRS out by fielding its candidates outside Hyderabad to prevent a majority of Muslim votes from going in favour of the Congress.

For one thing, no one doubts the Congress’ anti-BJP credentials as it is the only party at the national level fighting the BJP, he said.