Ahmedabad (The Hawk): AIMIM officials in Gujarat have advised the state and national leadership of the party not to contest all the Muslim-dominated seats in the state's upcoming December 1 and 5 elections.
Their concern is that the party is weak in certain districts, and that the AIMIM's chances of losing will grow if it runs candidates in those districts. Therefore, in the party's best interest, AIMIM should prioritise restricted seats.
Faisal Sujela, an AIMIM leader and Godhra Nagar Palika councillor, has requested in a letter to the party's state unit chairman that no candidate be fielded for the Godhra seat.
His statement was, "Party members in Godhra believe that their chances of victory are low, and that fielding a candidate will aid political opponents. Instead, the party should focus on building its organisation in preparation for the elections in 2027. If the proposal is not granted, I fear that the party in Godhra may split."
Local AIMIM leader Mohsin Hingorja has threatened to withdraw from the party if it nominates a candidate for the Mandvi seat in the Kutch region, according to a social media post.
"The party has a possibility of winning in Bhuj, but cannot win in Mandvi. If we nominate a candidate, it will benefit others, creating a false impression that AIMIM has an agreement with an ideologically opposed political party."
Danish Kureshi, a spokesman for AIMIM, told IANS that such conflicts are not uncommon prior to elections, but that the leaders should discuss their views in the party forum rather than in public. Only the party's leadership determines which seats to contest."
(Inputs from Agencies)
