Parties host lavish Iftar dos as bait to lure Muslim voters

Hyderabad: The political parties and leaders are hosting lavish Iftar parties to woo Muslim votes this election season. With the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the minority votes, which is a deciding factor in Greater Hyderabad, and the leaders attending the Iftar parties and hosting one on a grand scale are likely to connect with the electorate.

Political leaders attending or organising Iftar parties during the holy month of Ramzan are not a new thing in the State. Iftar parties were conceived by the political leaders as a show of solidarity with the community, these Iftar parties have become more like a platform to provide reassurance of political schemes for the Muslims.

This year was no different, as every major political party in the State competes with each other in Iftar parties to pledge assurances and reaffirm their promises to the Muslims. With the commencement of Ramzan, the ruling party Congress organised a grand Dawat-e-Iftar on the very first Friday of the holy month, where all political party leaders, including AIMIM, and over 5,000 people attended the grand fair.

It was held before the election notification issued by the Election Commission of India. Taking a grand platform for the Muslims, the Chief Minister, A Revanth Reddy, was all out with his fantasy bag full of political promises for the Muslims. To woo minority votes, Revanth Reddy also assures that neither Amit Shah nor Narendra Modi can remove the Muslim reservation in Telangana. And on asking AIMIM Chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi to stand against CAA, he said to hold the Central government’s CAA in Telangana.

Likewise, various political leaders are attending the Iftar parties as chief guests, and the party leaders are hosting lavish Iftar parties by spending from several thousand to lakhs of rupees. As per sources, an iftar party, which was hosted by a local leader, was expected to be organised by spending not less than Rs 50,000. And the lavish parties were organised between Rs two and three lakh and may be more with dinner.

Apart from the ruling party, the opposition party BRS's working president and party leaders also attended the parties as chief guests, wooing electors. K T Rama Rao is also seen attending iftar parties.

Additionally, the AIMIM, which enjoys strong support within the Muslim community, has been actively participating in iftar parties across various divisions within the Hyderabad parliamentary constituency.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has been observed attending these gatherings in locations such as Yakutpura, Talab Katta, Karwan, Charminar, and others. During these events, he has engaged with members of different communities, including the Bohra and Dawoodi Bohra communities.

AMIM’s seven legislators were also seen hosting lavish iftar parties in various areas of Hyderabad. Since the commencement of the Ramzan, each division leader or corporator has been seen hosting lavish iftar parties. Some of the lavish parties were hosted in Chandrayangutta, Yakutpura, Malakpet, Charminar, and Bahadurpura. Chandrayangutta MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi was seen attending lavish iftar parties in these areas as a chief guest.

Moreover, local leaders of different political parties in Old City are also distributing groceries among the people. In Ramzan, the affluent usually provide groceries to the poor and destitute, and the political parties, through their networks, are also reaching out to the poor and needy with ration kits.

Dr Aleem Khan Falaki, president of the Socio-Reforms Society, said these iftar parties have no Islamic endorsement; they are an innovation and extravagance. “The political parties use this occasion to increase their political weight, and with upcoming elections, this has become a platform for them to woo voters.”