Sania Mirza to contest elections against Owaisi from Hyderabad?
- By Web Desk -
- Mar 28, 2024
In a surprising political move, the Congress party reportedly considers nominating Indian Tennis star, Sania Mirza from Hyderabad, in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
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As reported by an Indian financial publication, former Indian skipper and Congress leader Mohammed Azharuddin, who has close familial ties with the Mirza family, given his son is married to Anam Mirza, proposed Sania’s name for the candidature.
Quoting the anonymous party source, the portal reported that the political party is planning to nominate Mirza against Asaduddin Owaisi, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief, from Hyderabad, in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Political pundits believe that Congress, which last won from Hyderabad in 1980, with K S elected Narayan as the MP, is eyeing the popularity of the former national tennis player, in order to reestablish their lost foothold in the electoral landscape of the capital city of the southern Indian state of Telangana. Being a female, from the minor community, who previously served as the ambassador of Hyderabad, under Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS), Mirza perfectly fits the bill.
The Hyderabad constituency, with its rich cultural heritage and diverse demographics, has had a stronghold of Owaisi-led AIMIM. However, the recent resurgence of the Indian National Congress has posed a significant challenge to the party’s dominance, in the upcoming electoral battle.
Notably, Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi won the Hyderabad seat as an independent candidate in 1984, and later from 1989 to 1999, as an AIMIM candidate. Asaduddin carried forward the legacy since 2004. He contested against 14 candidates in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, and won the seat, securing 58.94% of the total votes.
As for the polls, the voting for 543 parliamentary constituencies, to be held in seven phases, will start on April 19, and conclude on June 1.
Meanwhile, the voting in Telangana will be held in a single phase on May 13.