Asaduddin Owaisi dares BJP to 'bring PM Modi for muqabala in GHMC polls; then we'll see'

Issuing a challenge to the BJP amid a heated campaign for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has said that the saffron party must bring Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the old city. In a public rally on Thursday evening, Owaisi said that BJP is para-dropping several leaders in Hyderabad, but they are not sending PM Modi. Issuing a dare, he said that AIMIM will give the saffron party a befitting answer if they bring Narendra Modi to Hyderabad for poll campaigning. 

"You (BJP) bring Narendra Modi for the campaign here. We will see how many seats you win after that. Bring the person who is your prime face, bring him and let's then do this muqabala (fight). Why are you bringing others, bring him! Organise his rallies here and then we will see." He hailed his party's performance in Bihar polls,  "In which world are you living? What great have you achieved in Bihar? We won 5 seats by contesting in 20 and this journey will not stop." 

READ | Owaisi Slams BJP's 'Surgical Strike On Old Hyderabad' Threat; Dares It To 'Do It At LAC'

Campaign for GHMC polls

The poll campaign for the GHMC polls has gone completely communal with TRS, BJP and AIMIM issuing sharp remarks on each other. Emboldened by their victory in Dubbak by-polls and increased vote percentage in the Lok Sabha polls 2019, BJP has appointed a poll team headed by its national general secretary Bhupender Yadav and will be sending its big guns including Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah and party chief JP Nadda. 

While BJP alleges that AIMIM has sheltered "Rohingyas, Pakistanis" in Hyderabad and have been winning the polls due to their votes, Owaisi has hit back at Centre accusing them of spreading hate in name of religion. BJP has also claimed that TRS and Congress have a closed-door understanding with Owaisi and a vote to any of them is a vote against the country, Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao's party has dismissed the claims and said that they do not owe an explanation to the saffron party. BJP has also asserted that if voted to power, they will rename Hyderabad as Bhagyanagar and has drawn flak from both AIMIM and TRS. 

READ | 'Who is Owaisi? He's Jinnah's new avatar,' says BJP's Tejasvi Surya making Rohingyas claim

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections

The Telangana State Election Commission (TSEC) announced that 150 GHMC divisions will go to polls on December 1 and the counting of votes will be done on December 4. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the polling time has been extended by one hour, i.e., from 7 am to 6 pm. The current term of the GHMC council ends in February 2021 and in the 2016 elections, AIMIM won 44 seats, TRS won 99. BJP won 4 seats, Congress won 2 and TDP won one seat.

READ | 'You Talk Of Breaking, AIMIM Talks Of Uniting': Owaisi Accuses BJP Ahead Of GHMC Polls

READ | Owaisi Dismisses Alliance With TRS For GHMC Polls And taunts KCR Over His 'anti-BJP Front'