Hyderabad: It is apparently not an easy task for the Congress-led Mahakutami to win back the support of Muslims who had voted in favour of the TRS in the 2014 elections and the 2016 GHMC polls.
After the announcement of the TRS that it was going in for elections with the support of the MIM, BJP and the Congress have been strategically targeting the ruling party.
With a view to securing the community’s votes, the Congress and its Prajakutami allies — the Telugu Desam, CPI and the TJS — have been propagating among the Muslims that voting for the TRS would amount to voting for the BJP as both the parties had struck a tacit understanding and would come together for the Lok Sabha elections.
Though the Congress hopes that the Muslim votes will turn in their favour in view of the close relationship of Mr Chandrasekhar Rao with BJP, some party leaders acknowledge that the Opposition party would get only a percentage of the commuity’s ballot.
In view of the understanding between the TRS and the MIM, the BJP has been polarising the Hindu votes by propagating that the TRS is dancing on the tunes of the MIM and the BJP was the only party which can give ‘Owaisi-mukt Hyderabad’.
With the campaign of the Congress against the TRS and that of the BJP against the MIM, voting among the Muslim community, whose numbers range from 10 to 90 per cent in 45 constituencies, has become crucial.
The TRS is very confident of retaining the votes of the community as it has taken initiatives in the fields of education and welfare of the commuity and also its efforts to secure 12 per cent reservations from the Centre after passing a Bill in the Assembly.
TRS leaders are claiming that 12 per cent reservations is not a big issue as the younger generations of Muslims prefers to go abroad and a number of youngsters had availed of the Chief Minister’s oversees scholarship scheme.
The TRS leaders said there is less completion among Muslim youths for government jobs. In such a scenario, reservations is not a major issue. The Congress has announced that it is not in favour of enhancing reservations from 4 per cent.
TRS leaders are of the opinion that the no holds barred campaign of the BJP against the MIM and the TRS is also likely to polarise the votes of the Muslims towards the ruling party. This makes the scenario difficult for the Mahakutami.
