Telugu Desam Party sees MIM-Congress deal

Hyderabad: The Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen has claimed that it has no alliance with any party, but TD leaders see an “informal understanding” between the Congress and the MIM in some city constituencies.

Though the MIM has fielded candidates from Assembly seats like Serilingampally, Musheerabad, Jubilee Hills, and Secunderabad and from the LS constituencies of Secunderabad and Malkajgiri, in addition to Hyderabad, there is no party candidate for Khairatabad and Goshamahal Assembly seats.

TD city president Talasani Srinivas Yadav said the MIM has not fielded candidates at Khairatabad and Gosha-mahal as a favour to former ministers Danam Nagender and M. Mukesh Goud who played a key role in gifting the Hyderabad mayor’s seat to MIM.

It may be recalled that though MIM’s Mayor Majid Hussain resigned after two years in office, paving the way for the Congress to take over the office for the fifth and final year, the Congress refused to take it, and allowed MIM to continue in power.

“It is clear now that the Congress and MIM have an informal understanding. The MIM is contesting the Secunderabad LS seat. So how can it not field candidates in Khairatabad and Sanath-nagar, the two important Assembly segments of this constituency? The voters should understand this and defeat the Congress,” Mr Talasani Yadav said. TD leaders say that in the old city, the Congress has fielded weak candidates to help the MIM.

The MIM reacted sharply to these allegations and said they have never said they will contest from Khairatabad, Goshamahal and Sanathnagar. “MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has been saying that we will contest from Musheerabad, Jubilee Hills, Amberpet, Secunderabad and Nampally in Secunderabad LS constituency. It is the MIM which will decide where to contest from. If the TD is worried, let it run,” an MIM leader said.

Meanwhile, two YSRC candidates are out of the race. The candidates from Yakutpura and Chandrayangutta had filed incomplete papers.