On 9th April, it came to light that Congress has decided not to field a candidate in Hyderabad for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024. The Gandhi family party will support All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi who is 4-times MP in Lok Sabha.
Notably, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Kompella Madhavi Latha from Hyderabad against Owaisi. Congress’s decision to support Owaisi has come as a surprise for many as the party has always considered him as BJP’s B-team. Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi have targeted BJP and Owaisi on several occasions.
Speaking to Time Now, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee’s General Secretary Mohammed Feroz Khan claimed the majority of the seats in Telangana would be won by Congress. “Talking about Hyderabad city, there are Secunderabad and Hyderabad Lok Sabha (seats). My constituency is in Secunderabad and not in Hyderabad. Hyderabad Owaisi will win because there is a compromise between AIMIM and the Congress Party. So there is an understanding. Asaduddin will inevitably win Hyderabad.
Reacting to the reports of Congress supporting Asaduddin Owaisi, BJP’s candidate from Hyderabad Kompella Madhavi Latha wrote on X, “Congress was in alliance with AIMIM but claims that it’s Bjp B Team, CPI is part of INDI Alliance in Bengal but not in Kerala, AAP has alliance in Delhi but not in Punjab. The problem with congress is that its not clear what to do. Congress Mukt Bharat = Progress Yukt Bharat.”
Congress repeatedly targetted Asaduddin Owaisi in the past
Though Congress is supporting Owaisi in the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections, the party leaders have repeatedly claimed BJP and Owaisi have some sort of alliance. In November 2023, while campaigning for Telangana Assembly Elections, Gandhi said, “There are two friends of Modi, Owaisi and KCR!”.
In December 2018, Gandhi had said, “TRS is the BJP’s “B” team & KCR operates as Mr Modi’s, Telangana Rubber Stamp. Owaisi’s, AIMIM is the BJP’s “C” team, whose role is to split the anti BJP/ KCR vote. Great people of Telangana, Modi, KCR & Owaisi are one. They speak in twisted tongues. Do not be fooled by them!”
Lok Sabha Elections 2024
The polling for Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will take place in seven phases starting from 19th April. Polling in Telangana will take place in the fourth phase on 13th May 2024. The last phase of the General Elections will take place on 1st June 2024 and the results will be announced on 4th June 2024.