The All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) has extended support to the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) candidate Azhar Tamboli from the Hadapsar seat in Maharashtra. The SDPI is the political wing of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI). On 7th November, AIMIM Maharashtra leader Ruhinaaz Sheikh announced that the party will support SDPI candidate Azhar Tamboli in the coming elections. Sheikh said that Tamboli would be a voice of Muslims in the Assembly.
Similarly, the SDPI has also supported AIMIM candidate from Aurangabad constituency Imtiaz Jaleel to make sure that the votes of the Muslim community does not get divided.
Notably, SDPI’s Azhar Tamboli had earlier this year, filed a petition seeking a ban on the film “Humaare Baarah” which shed light on the challenges endured by Muslim women as they are relegated to the stature of inferior beings and treated similarly to baby-making machines in their households, in the name of religion.
With AIMIM and SDPI joining forces for electoral gains, the Asaduddin Owaisi-led party and the Congress party have come on the same page. During the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, the SDPI extended support to the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). The SDPI had said that since the Congress-led alliance was opposing the BJP, it would support the UDF. The Congress party has demanded a ban on SPDI in Karnataka but had qualms about taking support from the same outfit in Kerala. Ahead of the Karnataka assembly elections last year, former deputy chief minister of Karnataka and Congress leader Gangadharaiah Parameshwara sought the help of SDPI to defeat the BJP.
Notably, the SDPI had made covert alliances with Congress in several seats to oust BJP from power during the Karnataka assembly elections of 2018. SDPI leader Ilyas Thumbe had revealed in March this year that SDPI in 2018 had taken back their candidates from more than 25 seats as a result of secret pacts with Congress. Congress also had withdrawn its candidacy from three constituencies with a Muslim majority for SDPI to contest. However, Congress has denied any pact made with the Islamic organization.
