In a significant shift, the BJP has nominated four Muslim candidates in Karimnagar municipal polls, signalling a tactical move aimed at challenging AIMIM’s long-standing influence.

Hyderabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party has taken an unexpected turn in its Karimnagar municipal poll strategy by nominating four Muslim candidates breaking with a decades-long pattern of avoiding such tickets in the town.

The move, reflected in the party’s candidate list released on February 2, has drawn attention primarily because the BJP has not fielded Muslim nominees in Karimnagar civic elections for nearly half a century. This time, the party has entered wards traditionally seen as strongholds of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), signalling a clear attempt to unsettle entrenched political equations.

The most closely watched contest is in Ward 32, a Muslim-majority area that has remained under AIMIM’s control for close to four decades. The BJP has nominated Md Inayath Ali, a local trader associated with minority outreach initiatives, marking the party’s first direct contest in the ward. Three other Muslim candidates Md Fayazuddin, Md Sami Parvez and Syed Rizwana have been fielded in backward class–reserved wards across the corporation.

The decision is politically notable given the BJP’s consistent opposition to extending backward class reservations to Muslims on religious grounds. Leaders in Telangana have repeatedly argued that reservations should be determined by social and educational criteria rather than faith, even as the party now seeks to broaden its appeal in Muslim-dominated localities.

Karimnagar, a parliamentary constituency represented by Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar, has witnessed an aggressive campaign focused on countering AIMIM’s influence. Sanjay has publicly stated that his party’s contest is directed against AIMIM rather than the Muslim community, a line that appears to have shaped the BJP’s current civic strategy.

Meanwhile, AIMIM has stepped up its campaign in response, with senior leaders including Asaduddin Owaisi and Akbaruddin Owaisi addressing public meetings in Karimnagar. The party has framed the BJP’s move as opportunistic, accusing it of divisive politics.

Analysis: The BJP’s nominations point to a calibrated effort to test new electoral ground rather than an immediate bid for victory in AIMIM bastions. While the demographic arithmetic still favours AIMIM in key wards, the BJP’s entry could reshape local political conversations and signal a longer-term strategy of organisational expansion. This assessment reflects analytical opinion; all factual details above are drawn from the original content.