AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel has caused a flutter in Maharashtra politics by stating that his party can form an alliance with the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to prevent BJP from coming to power.
The Sena on Saturday rejected Jaleel’s offer to turn the “three-wheeled auto rickshaw” of MVA into a “comfortable car”, raking up the Asaduddin Owaisi-led party’s stand on issues such as the renaming of Aurangabad city and singing of Vande Mataram.
The NCP and Congress, other partners in the MVA, said the AIMIM must prove it was a “like-minded” party and not the “BJP’s B-team”. Jaleel had on Friday said the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen was willing to have a tie-up with Congress and NCP.
He said this when NCP leader and state minister Rajesh Tope visited his residence to console the death of his mother.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut too rejected Jaleel’s suggestion, saying those who “bow before the grave of Aurangzeb” cannot become acceptable to Maharashtra.
“The AIMIM has a secret alliance with BJP which
was proved in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal elections. AIMIM is a ‘B’ team of BJP and will remain so. The MVA is a three-party alliance and there is no room for a fourth partner,” Raut said.
On Saturday, the AIMIM MP reiterated his offer. “It is alleged that BJP wins because of us,” Jaleel said, referring to the allegation that the party splits Muslim votes which benefits BJP. “To prove this wrong, I
proposed that we are ready for an alliance,” he added.
“There is no power left in them (Shiv Sena) to defeat the BJP single-handed. That’s why they need the support of Congress and NCP. I propose that let’s add another wheel to the (three-wheeled) autorickshaw and make it a comfortable car.
We have expelled the corporator who had opposed the singing of Vande Mataram (in the Aurangabad municipal corporation) and he has joined NCP now,” Jaleel said.
Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe said the Owaisi-led party must prove that it is politically opposed to BJP. “Even common people consider AIMIM to be a ‘B’ team of BJP,” he added.
BJP leader and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis took a dig at the Sena, while reacting to Jaleel’s statement. “Will Sena and AIMIM come together? Cannot be ruled out.”