By Imran Inamdar, Twocircles.net
“I am really grateful to Ambedkari Janta for making my victory a reality ,my Dalit brothers worked hard for me and extended their unconditional support in the entire constituency ,” expressed newly elected MP Sayed Imtiyaz Jaleel of Aurangabad, in a candid conversation with Twocirlcles.net.
Sitting MLA of Aurangabad Central, Imtiyaz contested from Assaduddin Owaisi led ‘All India Majlis Ittihadul Muslimeen’ (AIMIM) and Prakash Ambedkar led ‘Vanchit bahujan Aghadi’ (VBA) ticket.
Imtiyaz Jaleel’s Lok Sabha win is historic as Maharashtra got a Muslim Member of Parliament after 15 years, the last one being Antule who won in 2004.
Abdur Rahman Antule was the last Muslim parliamentarian from the state who had won from Kolaba(Raigad) constituency.
Imtiyaz said “I must thank Bahujan Vanchit Aghadi leader Prakash Ambedkar (Bala saheb) and my AIMIM party supremo Barrister Asaduddin Owaidi for their faith in me and accepting my candidature.”
Imtiyaz said that the people of Aurangabad are facing problem of safe drinking water. And that he will try to resolve this issue as a priority. Aurangabad is among the worst drought affected areas in Maharashtra.
Imtiyaz said he will do his best for the people of Aurangabad irrespective of their cast and creed.
Speaking about his party AIMIM’s ties with Bahujan Vanchit Aghadi in upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections ,he says, “it was a successful experiment in Aurangabad . All the marginalized people, including Dalits and Muslims have come together to join mainstream politics. We are going to implement this Aurangabad module in the entire state and I am sure we will get good results”
Answering to the question about Independent candidate Harshwardhan Jadhav’s performance who took more than two lakh votes and made Imtiyaz’s win easy, he said “these are gossips which happen after every result, if Jadhav did not contest I would have got all those two lakh votes.”
He said he is thankful to all the people who prayed for his success. And that he was aware that not just in Maharashtra but also in other states people kept a close watch on his results.
Aurangabad Lok sabha constituency has around 18 lakh voters and it consists of five assembly constituencies. Muslims share about five lakh votes and Dalits have nearly four lakh votes .
It was a tough fight in this constituency as there was Chandrakant Khaire from Shiv Sena, Independent candidate Harshwardhan Jadhav and congress candidate Subhash Jhanbad opposite Jaleel.
Voting percentage of the constituency is about 60 percent with 1198727 votes. Shiv Sena’s Khaire managed to get 384550, Jadhav got 283798 votes and Zambad bagged 91789 votes. Finally AIMIM’s Auragabad central’s sitting MLA Imtiyaz secured 389042 votes and emerged victorious with a margin of 4492 votes.
According to AIMIM student’s wing president Shafiq Patel Muslims were hoping and eagerly waiting from nearly 40 years to get their own MP.
Shafiq informed that “we made groups of devoted volunteers and targeted all the assembly constituencies, wards and villages. Youth worked very hard and put hundred percent efforts in the campaign. Our Dalit brothers stood by our side and extended their full support on all fronts”
Arun Borde expressed happiness over this result and told Twocircles.net “It is not only the victory of Imtiyaz Sahab but also of all the marginalised community.”
“ It is appreciable that all of the Bahujan community respected the words of Prakash Ambedkar Saheb and Owaisi saheb and came together to vote for Imtiyaz sahib” he added.
The State has got ten Muslim parliamentarians till date, Mahboob Haq was the first Muslim MP ,elected in 1962 from Akola Lok Sabha constituency, second was Haq M.Asgar who registered victory from the same seat in 1967 and 1971 consecutively. Samad Ali Sayed was the third politician who was elected from Jalgao in 1967. Abdul Saleh bhai won from Mumbai and Abdul Shafi from Chandrapur in 1971.
The current leader of Indian National Congress Ghulam Nabi Azad emerged victorious from Washim in 1980 and 1984, and Qazi Saleem won from Aurangabad in 1980. Abdur Rahman Antule (Ex.Maharshtra C.M ) was the only Muslim leader who won the Kolaba (Raigad) Seat for four times in 1989,1991,1996 and 2004.
