MIM rules out tie-up with JD(S) for Karnataka polls

HYDERABAD: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) will not have any electoral understanding this time with Janata Dal (Secular) in elections next year to Karnataka assembly, party president Asaduddin Owaisi said. The tenure of Karnataka assembly is to end on May 24, 2023.
In the last assembly election, AIMIM campaigned for JD(S) following a request from ally and Telangana CM KCR after JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy met the latter.
But this time, AIMIM is unlikely to align with any mainstream party in the state. It is looking to contest from districts with sizeable Muslim population. Congress and JD(S) have accused Owaisi of contesting polls to cut into their vote-banks. Muslim population in Karnataka is around 80 lakh.