Ahead of the Assembly elections in Telangana, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) retired two of its veteran leaders — Mumtaz Ahmed Khan and Syed Ahmed Pasha Quadri. In the fray are two new candidates, both former mayors of Hyderabad, Mir Zulfequar Ali and Mohammed Majid Hussain, fielded from Charminar and Nampally segments respectively.
Mr. Hussain, who was first elected as Ahmed Nagar corporator in 2009, will slug it out electorally in Nampally with the Congress’ Feroz Khan, who contested the 2014 Assembly polls on a TDP ticket against sitting MLA Jaffar Hussain Meraj.
“Traditionally, the Majlis, and the current MLA are strong in Nampally, a seat that Feroz Khan has been trying hard to wrest from them for many years. He has been projecting himself as a more acceptable face for everybody than the sitting MLA,” said an observer who is a Nampally resident. “Given the recent ‘favourable’ position of the Congress, it seems that the MIM wants to bolster its chances by fielding Mr. Hussain, who enjoys wide support among the youth, and is from the constituency,” he said.
