BJP's strike rate in Hyderabad local polls only 32%, AIMIM won 86 %: Owaisi

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], December 5 (ANI): AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday said that BJP had a strike rate of around 32 per cent in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections while his party had a strike rate of 86 per cent and if it had contested more seats, it would have won more.
"We have not contacted Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). In this GHMC election, at many places, we fought TRS. In Rahmath Nagar, TRS won and we were at the second place. BJP fought 150 seats and won 48 seats which is a strike rate of around 32 per cent. We had a strike rate of 86 per cent. If we had contested in more seats then we would have won even more," Owaisi told ANI.
Owaisi said that BJP's success is temporary and will not gain much in the long run.
"Where did BJP win in our constituencies? There are 44 municipal wards in Hyderabad. We fought on 34 wards and won 33. We had won five years back too. BJP raked up issues like surgical strike, Jinnah, Rohingyas and Afghans. They brought Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh's Chief Minister for campaigning. But they lost three wards. Nobody should read too much into this as it is a temporary success and it will not last," he said.
On the loss of seats of TRS in the GHMC elections, Owaisi said that this is people's verdict. The GHMC poll verdict is not a mandate for any one party. We have to understand and respect this mandate, he added.
Owaisi, however, added that Telangana as a state has different political demography and Chief Minister KC Rao has a connect with the people so not much should be read into the GHMC election verdict in terms of the larger picture.
"People have to understand that GHMC is no doubt a part of Telangana but the mainland Telangana has a regional aspiration and different political demography. Chief Minister KC Rao reflects those aspirations, not his party. In Nizamabad Municipal Corporation election despite BJP having an MP there, they did not win in those elections," he said.
On being asked about BJP's gain when AIMIM attacks them, Owaisi said that two sides of an ocean will never be able to meet.
"In Aurangabad parliamentary constituency which was held by Shiv Sena for 22-23 years, AIMIM won. In Jharkhand also we fought and BJP was not able to win. The two sides of an ocean will never meet," he said.
Owaisi further said: "In West Bengal, we will take a decision on contesting the elections after consulting our ground-level workers. We did not fight in West Bengal in parliamentary elections but BJP won 18 seats. The TMC leaders are joining BJP. Are they asking us? Please do not run propaganda of BJP by making us a medium. The so-called secular parties should think about the real strategy to counter BJP. There was so much anti-incumbency against JD(U) but still they were not able to win."
BJP made major gains in GHMC polls as it won 48 seats, seven less than the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) which emerged as the single largest party winning 55 seats.
The TRS won fewer seats than it won in the 2016 elections when it had won a majority in the elections to GHMC.
The strong performance by BJP came on the heels of its victory last month in the Dubbak assembly seat. The party had wrested the seat from the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi.
The GHMC results have been declared on 149 of 150 seats with results in the Neredmet division held.
Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM won 44 seats and Congress two seats. (ANI)