Will former Hyderabad Mayor Mir Zulfiqar Ali uphold AIMIM legacy by winning Charminar Assembly seat?

Assembly constituency- Charminar

District: Hyderabad

MLA: Mumtaz Ahmed Khan (Muslim)

Reservation: GEN

Total Voters: 2,16,648

Booths: 198

Urban Voters: 100 %

Rural Voters: 0%

Male: 54 %

Female: 46 %

Caste & Religious Demography

Gen + OC: 96 %

SC: 2 %

ST: 2 %

Hindu: 20%

Muslim: 75 %

Others : 5%

Sitting MLA

Mumtaz Ahmed Khan (AIMIM)

Mumtaz Ahmad Khan, a member of the Assembly since 1994, was elected six times in a row as an MLA. He was first elected from Yakutpura on the Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) ticket from 1994. He joined the AIMIM and was elected on the party's ticket in 1999 and served as an MLA till 2018 from Yakutpura constituency. He was fielded from Charminar by the All India Majlis-e-lttehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) in 2018.

Candidates

Ibrahim Lodi (BRS)

The BRS has fielded Ibrahim Lodi from the Charminar constituency to contest against AIMIM's six-term MLA Mumtaz Ahmad Khan in the Telangana Assembly elections 2023.

Many political activists believe Ibrahim Lodi is one of the dummy candidates fielded by the BRS in order to help their friendly party, the AIMIM.

Mohd. Mujeeb Ullah Shareef (Congress)

Mujeeb Ullah Shareef, born in 1968, is an advocate and builder by profession. Shareef earned his LLB degree and became a distinguished High Court advocate in Telangana.

He was appointed as the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee Minority Department's joint convener. He is the TPCC secretary, representing Charminar constituency in Hyderabad.

Mujeeb Ullah Shareef led the 'Haath se Haath Jodo Yatra' within the Charminar constituency. He is contesting on behalf of the Congress from Charminar constituency in Telangana Assembly elections 2023.

Megha Rani (BJP)

The BJP has fielded Megha Rani in the Charminar constituency. Megha Rani, an advocate by profession and a devout Hindu, aims to develop Charminar constituency if she wins Telangana elections in 2023.

Mir Zulfiqar Ali (AIMIM)

Mir Zulfiqar Ali, who is contesting for the Charminar Assembly seat, was previously the mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad. Zulfiqar Ali, a first-time Assembly candidate, was elected as a GHMC corporator in 2020.

Constituency details

Geography

The Charminar Assembly seat is one of 119 assembly seats in Telangana and is part of the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency. Charminar constituency, considered an urban seat, is located in the old city of Hyderabad.

Charminar is divided into four GHMC divisions: Pathargatti, Moghalpura, Ghansi Bazar, and Puranapul.

The Charminar constituency is important to the All India Majlis-e-ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), as the party has won seven terms from here from 1989 to 2018.

Political history

From 1967 to 1985, only independent candidates won Assembly elections in the Charminar constituency. However, since 1989, only AIMIM candidates have won from this constituency.

In 1994 and 1999, Asaduddin Owaisi was elected as an MLA from the Charminar Assembly constituency. Syed Pasha Qadri served as an MLA from 2004 to 2014 in the Charminar constituency.

Mumtaz Ahmad Khan was fielded from Charminar by the All India Majlis-e-lttehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) in 2018 and he won the Assembly elections.

2014 Assembly elections analysis

Syed Ahmed Pasha Qadri won this Assembly seat three times. Since 1989, a combination of only Muslim and AIMIM has won this seat.

Charminar constituency, predominantly Muslim, is a stronghold for the AIMIM due to its majority Muslim population, which exclusively supports the party. Regardless of the strategy adopted, the AIMIM has consistently won this constituency.

2018 Assembly elections analysis

Mumtaz Ahmed Khan, a five-term MLA from Yakutpura, won the Charminar constituency in the 2018 Assembly elections on behalf of the AIMIM.

Current Situation

The AIMIM had requested Charminar sitting legislator Mumtaz Ahmed Khan not to contest in Telangana elections 2023 and the request was graciously accepted, according to AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi.

It was reportedly decided in 2018 that Mumtaz Khan and Pasha Quadri would not contest in Telangana State Assembly elections 2023.

It should be noted that Asaduddin Owaisi has made it clear to voters to exercise their franchise in favor of the BRS in seats where the AIMIM was not competing.

Key issues

Frequent power cuts

Lack of adequate parking facilities

Lack of bus terminal

Demand for metro rail

Pending multi-level parking project