No Muslim from Vidarbha in Cong 1st list, Anees Ahmed cries betrayal
Nagpur: Former Maharashtra cabinet minister Anees Ahmed vehemently disapproved the absence of Muslim candidates from Vidarbha in Congress’ first list for the ensuing assembly elections, saying Mumbai is not Maharashtra. Though three Muslim names figure in the first list, they are all from Mumbai.
A strong aspirant for the Nagpur Central seat, Ahmed was denied a shot at the electoral ring, despite thrice representing the seat, which has a significant Muslim population. And this has left him fuming. “It’s just not about me. Muslims helped Congress decimate BJP in Vidarbha and this is how the state leadership is repaying the community,” Ahmed told TOI. The coveted Nagpur Central seat went to Bunty Shelke.
Ahmed confirmed to TOI that he has been offered a ticket from Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM to contest from Nagpur Central or anywhere in Maharashtra. “I am not quitting Congress. The injustice meted out to me and my community stems from the insensitive and myopic approach of the state party leadership. Rahul Gandhi is favourable to us, but his coterie is sidelining Muslims,” he told TOI.
The state leadership of Congress had assured its minority unit that a Muslim candidate would be picked from this constituency, but the first list has triggered resentment. Shelke had suffered a narrow defeat in the previous election, with his vote share impacted by the presence of an AIMIM candidate. However, the Halba community leaders had also opposed a Muslim candidate from Nagpur Central.
While Congress’ first list included three Muslim candidates — Arif Naseem Khan, party’s observer for Nagpur district, Aslam Shaikh, and Amin Patel, who would contest from Chandivali, Malad West, and Mumbadevi respectively — Ahmed criticized Congress’ selection committee for betraying the trust of Muslims who helped them fortify Vidarbha.
While Ahmed unequivocally ruled out the possibility of defecting from Congress, he maintained the party had neglected Muslim candidates from Vidarbha in both Lok Sabha and the current assembly elections.
Courtesy : TOI
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