By A. Mirsab, TwoCircles.net,
Mumbai: Ahead of the October 15 election for Maharashtra assembly, the state unit of Jamaat-E-Islami Hind (JIH) has announced to support 155 candidates across the state belonging to different political parties to defeat what it called as “fascist and communal parties”.
JIH said it came out with the list after it meticulously studied and observed the ground realities of these constituencies.
TCN file photo
In its effort to unite secular vote, JIH had undertaken a 10-day long campaign titled “Maharashtra ka Vikas – Nyay aur Sadbhavna ke sath” (Development of Maharashtra – With Justice and Goodwill for all). The Jamaat body had started state wide campaign on 12th September with a target to reach out to six crore voters in the state imparting them the importance of their vote and the need of voting for secular parties “so that voices of minority communities may not be suppressed by the communal parties in the state,” said a JIH leader.
By releasing this support list before actual voting day, the JIH is aiming at encouraging people to vote for these well searched secular candidates. JIH is supporting 67 candidates of INC – the maximum number out of its 155 list of candidates – followed by NCP (52). It has also called for support for 8 candidates battling on the ticket of its political wing Welfare Party of India.
Debuting MIM has received support by JIH on 5 seats while it supports only 2 candidates of the Samajwadi Party – Azmi father-son duo from Bhiwandi and Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar of Mumbai respectively.
Mr Mohd Tariq Sahir Lokhandwala, a candidate of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) from Yavatmal has also found Jamaat support while two other candidates of Bahujan Mukti Party from Khamgaon and Paithan find their names in the 155 candidates’ list.
Interestingly, JIH is urging people to vote for the Communist Party (Marxist) candidate Namdeo Bhagre from Akole (ST) constituency and what is more amusing is that on three segments, the JIH is urging people to use ‘NOTA’ button, possibly because it did not find any other candidate worthy of sending to the assembly. These three constituencies are Akot, Amravati and Achalpur, all from Vidarbha region.
List of Candidates that JIH has supported.