The organisation has also extended support to 41 BRS candidates, seven of AIMIM, and one each from the BSP and CPI.
In the 2018 Assembly elections, 33 percent of the Muslims preferred BRS while 34 percent, the Congress. (X)
The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind on Wednesday, 22 November, extended its support to the Congress in 69 Assembly constituencies in Telangana, which should come as a shot in the arm for the grand old party which is preparing for the showdown with the BRS on 30 November.
Interestingly, the socio-religious organisation has also pledged its backing to 41 BRS candidates, seven AIMIM candidates, and one candidate each from the Bahijan Samaj Party (BSP) and the CPI.
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind aims to “uphold a way of life that submits to the will of God”.
Incidentally, the Muslim organisation did not provide a broader perceptive of the yardsticks it used to decide which candidates to support from different parties. However, the overall guiding principle appeared that policy-wise it has no issues either with the BRS or the Congress but the support was based on the candidates’ winning prospects.
The Congress has already been sitting pretty on the support extended to it by the Telangana Muslim Organisations Joint Action Committee (JAC), which seemed to be convinced that it would pave the way for the defeat of the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections next year.
The JAC, accordingly, appealed to all Muslims in the state to come together and vote for the Congress.
The JAC also warned the Congress that it would reconsider its decision in Lok Sabha polls if it failed to deliver on the promises made in its Minority Declaration.
Jamaat’s backing in the majority number of seats has become the icing on the cake for the Congress.
Meanwhile, religious scholars in Telangana have issued a press release, urging Muslims to vote for secular parties, which implied either the BRS or the Congress.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mubashir Khurram, a journalist and columnist with the Siasat Daily, termed the appeal excellent since they were not supporting any political party. The Ulemas appealed to the Imams of masjids in the state to raise awareness on the importance of voting for Muslims during the next Friday prayers.
The Muslim preference appeared to be equally divided. Half of them have been supporting the BRS and the remaining half have gone with the Congress. In the 2018 Assembly elections, 33 percent of the Muslims preferred BRS while 34 percent, the Congress.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, 43 percent backed the BRS while 42 percent threw their weight behind the Congress.
Muslims constitute close to 13 percent of the Telangana population.
This time, with the Jamaat asking the voters to back the Congress in 69 constituencies, it should be seen to what extent the community members would go by the appeal.
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