Making it clear that it would not support any political party in particular ahead of the Telangana state assembly elections, the Jamaat-e-Islami Telangana ended up supporting 69 candidates fighting on a Congress ticket.
“It is noteworthy that the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Telangana Chapter, is not aligning itself with any specific political party in these elections. Instead, the organisation extends its support to individual candidates based on recommendations from the local units,” the organisation stated.
The Muslim organisation announced its support for 41 candidates fighting the elections on BRS tickets. Meanwhile the organisation also supported the candidates of seven All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) candidates, and one candidate each from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) as well as the Communist Party of India (CPI).
According to Jamaat-e-Islami Political Committee Convener Abdul Majeed Shoaib, the decision was based on surveys from the organisation cadre who had gathered data from the ground. Further, civil society organisations were also engaged.
He also pointed out that the secular credentials of the candidates were taken into consideration before deciding to support them. Other crucial factors include the opinion about each candidate among the public and the relationship the public has with the candidate.
Sources from the Jamaat said that members of the organisation were debating which party to support. While an announcement was expected sooner, it was on account of seeking more clarity that the decision was announced on Wednesday.
