As the countdown to the Maharashtra Assembly elections begins, AIMIM state chief and former Aurangabad MP Imitiaz Jaleel has stated that his party is “waiting” for a response from Congress regarding an alliance proposal submitted two months ago. However, Congress has denied receiving any such offer.

Jaleel mentioned that his party had also sent a “detailed proposal” to another constituent of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Sharad Pawar’s NCP, in addition to state Congress chief Nana Patole. “We are awaiting feedback from the Congress leadership in Delhi and expect to hear from them in the coming days,” he told The Indian Express.

Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe refuted the claim, stating that no proposal from AIMIM had been received and that the issue hadn’t even been discussed internally.

Jaleel’s comments come after he declared last month that his party would forge its own path if the MVA did not respond by September 9. “If the alliance does not materialize, we will leverage our strong presence in the Marathwada region,” he asserted.

The AIMIM leader also confirmed that the party is requesting five specific Assembly seats: Malegaon Central, Dhule, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Solapur, and Versova, for which they have already shortlisted candidates. “We are not asking for many seats, but if the alliance proceeds, we will retain these five. We are hopeful that Congress will join us in defeating the BJP and its allies,” he said.

Although AIMIM has only secured a couple of seats since entering Maharashtra in 2014, its presence has impacted Congress’s performance in several constituencies. For instance, in 2019, AIMIM contested 44 seats, winning only Malegaon Central and Dhule City, but is believed to have siphoned off votes from the Congress-NCP in 12 constituencies. In Chandivali and Nagpur Central, the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance won by narrow margins of 409 and 4,008 votes, respectively, while AIMIM candidates garnered 1,167 and 8,565 votes.

In 2014, AIMIM won two out of 24 contested seats, yet was seen as a significant challenger to Congress and the undivided NCP in at least nine other seats. “We provided a tough challenge to all parties, including Congress, in nine seats,” an AIMIM source noted.

However, AIMIM leaders acknowledge the ongoing tensions between the two parties, particularly since the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014. While the Asaduddin Owaisi-led party previously extended outside support to successive Congress governments in undivided Andhra Pradesh, it shifted its allegiance to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (formerly Telangana Rashtra Samithi) after Telangana was formed.

“From 2014 to 2024, AIMIM has developed a contentious relationship with Congress in Telangana, with distrust escalating as it expanded into other states,” a Congress insider from Telangana revealed.

Congress continues to accuse AIMIM of acting as a B-team for the BJP, claiming it polarizes voters and aids the party’s agenda. Owaisi has countered these accusations, stating that AIMIM is pursuing its political ambitions and aims to achieve “mass appeal” rather than being perceived solely as a “Muslim party.”