Congress, MIM to trade seats

Hyderabad, April 12: The Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen has “literally” presented the Goshamahal Assembly seat to the Congress which has fielded the BC welfare minister, Mr M. Mukesh Goud.

Goshamahal is a newly carved out constituency from the former Maharajgunj Assembly segment.

The Congress in return has fielded not so prominent candidates in the six other Assembly segments that form the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency with Goshamahal.

The MIM leaders claim that the Congress is a rival, but not fielding a candidate in Goshamahal has led to talks that both parties have a secret pact.

When contacted, the MIM president, Mr Asaduddin Owaisi, said political parties which do not like the MIM are spreading such canards.

“We have fielded Mr Muralidhar Reddy from Rajendernagar, a winnable candidate against the Congress candidate there,” he said. “The MIM is working hard to defeat the Congress candidate, Mr M. Naranayarao Patel, from Mudhol constituency in Adilabad district. In Goshamahal the BJP is strong. An MIM candidate would lead to splitting up of votes with the Congress; the BJP may benefit from this.”

To substantiate his claim, the MIM leader pointed out that the Congress has fielded candidates in all the constituencies in old city. The MIM chief said his party had fielded Mr Srisailam Yadav from Jubilee Hills against Mr Vishnuvardhan Reddy of the Congress, but Mr Yadav’s nomination was rejected. “So where is the scope for an understanding between us and the Congress?” he asked.