Whilst claiming to keeping its distance from the ruling Shiv Sena, the two Maharashtra MLAs of the Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) nonetheless voted for the ‘Maha Vikas Aghadi’ coalition (of the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress) in the Rajya Sabha polls on Friday.
The AIMIM, which has often been accused by the MVA leadership - particularly the Shiv Sena - of being the BJP’s ‘b-team’, said it voted for the Congress’ candidate in order to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Before the polling, Imtiaz Jaleel, the AIMIM’s lone MP in Maharashtra (from Aurangabad) said that while his party’s “political and ideological differences with the Sena” would remain, the party’s MLAs would cast their votes for the Congress (MVA) candidate Imran Pratapgarhi.
