Jamaat-e-Islami Hind decides to back TRS

Hyderabad: The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), Telangana, on Thursday announced its decision to back TRS in the upcoming Assembly elections. Despite of being a pan-India organisation, the local leadership has decided to support regional party over national party like Congress after its assessment that an alliance of regional parties would form the next government in the Centre.

The organisation’s State president, Hamid Mohammed Khan, announced that after carefully assessing the situation, analysing the performance and style of government of all political parties, the party has reached to a conclusion of backing the ruling TRS in the Assembly elections. He said that the organisation has pegged its hopes with the TRS, but it can vehemently oppose the party if it chooses to go with NDA in the general elections to be held in early 2019. “We will oppose any such move strongly like we did early against the TDP, when it decided to back NDA at the Centre,” he added.

JIH leader, who was part of Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC) at the time of Telangana movement, listed out developmental activities taken up by the TRS government during the last four-and-a-half years and said that the party should be provided with another chance to form a government to fulfil the remaining promises made to the people. He elaborated that wherever BJP wanted any constituency, the JIH would be backing a strong secular candidate from any political party. “In the light of existing political situation, we think that, a big change will take place in the 2019 general elections.

National parties like the BJP and Congress would not be able to form the government at the centre, and one alternative is that regional parties forming a government, with outside support from the Congress. Second alternative is that the regional parties forming a government with outside support from the BJP. As the majority of regional parties are opposed to the BJP, there is more possibility to form a government with Congress. Another possibility is that the parties of both the Telugu states like TRS, TDP, Congress and other parties grouping after 2019 election,” he expounded.

Further, the JIH president said when compared to Congress (2004-2014), the TRS (2014-2018) has performed better in key indicators, such as state budget, minority budget, growth rate, state GDP, per capita income, new area brought under irrigation, law & order, flagship schemes and other welfare programmes. “We had detailed discussion with the major political parties and following the meeting, we arrived at the decision,” he added. The JIH will be backing all the TRS candidates, except in Kamareddy, where Shabbir Ali is contesting from Congress, seven existing seats, MIM in Rajendranagar and candidate of Welfare Party of India (WPI) Syed Riyazuddin from Gosha Mahal.