campaign-trail-asaduddin-owaisi-s-fight-for-hyderabad

It's a warm summer day in Hyderabad, and the streets of Malakpet are alive with crowds adorned in green caps and kite flags. 

They are awaiting the arrival of Assadudin Owaisi, the prominent Muslim face of India and a voice for the people of Hyderabad. 

 

As his vehicle leaves Darussalam, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) headquarters, the crowd swells from fifty to over a thousand, a testament to the party's stronghold in this constituency since 1984.

 

As Owaisi alights from his SUV, the area adjoining the Syed Jalaluddin Bakery reverberates “kaun aaya” (who has come, and a spontaneous response says, “sher aaya, sher aaya” (the lion is here). And without wasting any time, the “padayatra” starts.



It’s a day of campaigning on foot, door-to-door, literally. As the crowds swell, the “Z Plus” CRP security finds it hard to keep admirers and supporters away. The event starts with the release of green and white helium balloons and a garlanding ceremony. 

 

After this, every 50 yards, there is a small stage where the rituals are repeated.

 

"This is my fifth Parliamentary election here," Owaisi declares, his voice brimming with pride. "My father, Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi, represented this constituency from 1984 to 2004, and I stepped in after his demise, retaining the seat ever since. You see the love people have showered on me and my family for nearly forty years."

 

Before delimitation, the Malakpet segment of Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat was won by Indrasena Reddy of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1999. 

 

Despite the presence of a large number of RSS and BJP cadres in the Muslim-dominated bastion, which saw many communal riots in the past, it seems to be tilting towards the London-educated barrister who has relentlessly worked for the not-so-privileged in the constituency.   

 

As the crowds move forward, the greetings of "As-Salaam-Alaikum" turn into “Namaste amma”—it is now the thousands of Hindu voters in the constituency who have stepped out with garlands to welcome him. 

 

The offer to step inside their apartment building is politely declined due to the paucity of time, but he makes it a point to get himself photographed with them and asks them to come and vote for “patang,” the local word for kite, Owaisi’s party symbol.

 

Leading the way is a "dholl" (drum) brigade, followed by Owaisi, who holds a mic, waving and beckoning onlookers from buildings and windows to catch a glimpse of the man who has taken on those advocating "Sanatan" as the sole way of life.

 

“Please go and vote. Even if you want to vote against me, do so, but increase the polling percentage. Don’t stay at home to party; party after you have voted. It is your right that you must use it,” Owaisi tells a few youngsters who don’t seem to be much interested in his ideology but are curious to have a close look at the man who has vehemently opposed all those advocating “Sanatan” as the only way of life.

 

As they say, in politics, learning begins early. 

 

So Assadudin has brought along his 14-year-old son Sultanuddin to pick up the tricks of the trade sooner. A smart and observant young lad, he does not say much except respond to some greetings. 

 

Also, in a foot-driven cavalcade, manoeuvring the narrow lanes of Malakpet are a group of burka-clad women who reach out to women voters and briefly tell them how it was the AIMIM and its workers who brought food, oxygen, and other essentials during COVID when the other candidates did not venture out of their homes.

 

As Assadudin Owaisi walks past an occasional Hindu shop or apartment complex, he slows down not to exclude greetings to even those who he feels may not vote for him. 

 

This is despite the fact that he won the 2019 elections with a margin of 2.30 lakh votes. What is interesting is in this old city of Hyderabad both the BJP candidate Madhvi Lata and Owaisi are being accused of using religion to seek votes. 

 

But this issue is being avoided in the door-to-door campaign, possibly because the candidates feel it may not be taken well. The AIMIM holds six out of the seven assembly segments in the Hyderabad Lok Sabha segment. 

 

BJP’s Raja Singh holds the seventh Goshmahal segment.

 

Amidst the fragrance of discarded garlands and the countless bouquets bestowed upon him, Owaisi's popularity is undeniable, even in his fifth election. After an hour of walking in his favourite On Cloud brand shoes, he takes a tea break, acknowledging the tireless efforts of his party workers who campaign tirelessly throughout the year, unlike the "paratroopers" who emerge only during elections.

 

"I know my constituency loves me, and I have stood by them through thick and thin," Owaisi affirms. 

 

"But at the end of the day, an election is an election, and it has to be taken seriously."