MIM brothers at odds over deal for MLC seat

Published: 23rd March 2013 08:09 AM  |   Last Updated: 23rd March 2013 09:31 AM

By J R Prasad | ENS

A rift is said to have been occurred between MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi and his brother Akbaruddin over a proposed deal with the Congress in the election to the lone MLC seat under the Hyderabad local authorities constituency quota.

MIM insiders said Asaduddin wants to back a Congress candidate for the seat -- to keep a promise he made to the ruling party in return for allowing the MIM to have the Hyderabad mayor’s post -- Akbaruddin wants to gang up with the TDP to teach a lesson to the Congress for throwing him in jail.

The elder brother is said to think that a deal with the Congress will yield more benefits to the MIM in its effort to expand to other states than forging an alliance with the TDP, which is confined to Andhra Pradesh only.

The MIM leadership will meet Saturday to finalise its tactics. Akbaruddin, the MIM’s floor leader in the Assembly, met minister M Mukesh Goud in the lobbies of the Assembly Thursday and sought the ruling party’s support to a candidate his party intends to field for the MLC seat.

But even as the MIM was undecided, PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana finalised the name of M S Prabhakar, the present incumbent, as the Congress candidate. Interestingly, Botcha seemed confident that the MIM will support the Congress candidate despite the recent break in their alliance.

Botcha handed over the B-form for the MLC seat to Greater Hyderabad Congress Committee president Danam Nagender.

Speaking to reporters, Danam said, “We have held talks with the MIM to secure their support as per our earlier agreement and we will talk again. We are confident we’ll get their support.”

These developments after MIM abstained from the no-trust vote in the Assembly last week.

Political observers think it odd that Owaisi, the Elder, would want to cosy up to Kiran Kumar Reddy’s party after having called him an agent of the Sangh Pariwar four months ago.

Still bristling over his arrest after he made a vitriolic speech, Akbaruddin bumped into TDP leaders M Narasimulu, P Keshav and A Revanth Reddy in the Assembly lobbies Thursday and sought the yellow party’s support.

However, TDP leader Talasani Srinvas Yadav made it clear that his party will not play ball.

“We are not ready to respond to the “friendly gesture” of the MIM for now,” he said.