Congress Tries To Woo MIM

The ruling party, the Congress, has intensified its efforts to convince the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen to revise its decision of severing ties from the party at both the Centre and the state.

According to sources, Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha, former minister Mohammad Ali Shabbir, Rajya Sabha member M A Khan and a few other Congress leaders spoke to MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi and his younger brother Akbaruddin Owaisi on Tuesday, asking them to reconsider their decision.

However, the sources say that the MIM leaders showed no signs of getting convinced.

Meanwhile, Damodar Rajanarasimha called on Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Tuesday at the latter's camp office, to discuss the latest political situation. He reportedly apprised the Chief Minister of the outcome of the informal talks that the Congress leaders held with the MIM leaders.

They also discussed with him the possible impact of MIM's decision in the near future.

Apparently, both the leaders were fully convinced that there was no immediate threat to their government.

On the other hand, some Congress leaders strongly believe that the MIM leaders might re-consider their decision. This was indicated from the fact that the MIM was yet to send a formal letter to Governor E S L Narasimhan about the withdrawal of its support to the government.

Although MIM President Asaduddin Owaisi, in his presser held on Monday, had said that a letter was already faxed to President of India Pranab Mukherjee regarding the withdrawal of support to the UPA government, he did not specify when the party leaders would meet the Governor.

It may be mentioned here that during the emergency meeting with cabinet ministers held on Monday evening, the Chief Minister had clarified that the government had neither favoured any community nor violated the High Court's orders in the Bhagyalakshmi Temple issue.

In fact, he reportedly stated that it was left to the local administration and the police, and that it was considered a law and order issue. The CM is said to have said that the MIM had turned it into a political controversy by withdrawing support.

A few Congress leaders are trying to find an amicable solution to the controversy by ensuring that the Congress government does not sound "apologetic", and that the MIM, too, looks "victorious" rather than as having "compromised". (INN)