Ali Bin Ibrahim Masqati, a well-known businessman and former TDP leader, recently joined the Congress party in the presence of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge. This has encouraged other leaders from the Old City, mostly from TDP, to consider joining as well. Many leaders are meeting with Masqati to understand what benefits they would receive if they switch parties.
The Congress party is making a strong push into the AIMIM stronghold and positioning itself as the party that will form the next government. This has sparked hopes among TDP leaders who have been with the party for a long time.
Sources say that TDP leaders who have been loyal to the party and resisted offers from AIMIM and other parties, including Congress, are now feeling disappointed. They believe that the party high command has neglected them and left them at the mercy of Telangana leadership.
Leaders close to Masqati are planning to follow his lead and join the Congress party. They feel that the Telangana TD president, Kasani Gnaneshwar, has caused significant damage to the party in a short period of time. They are unhappy with the party giving positions to family members and friends instead of deserving leaders.
Since Masqati’s joining, leaders from different constituencies, including Nampally, Chandrayangutta, Yakutpura, Charminar, Bahadurpura, Karwan, and Musheerabad, have been visiting him. While no major decisions will be made during the Ganesh festivities, there will be a big program after the festivities where several senior politicians are expected to join the Congress party.
Some prominent names that are being mentioned include former corporator Muzaffar Ali Khan, who lost in the 2018 elections but received a significant number of votes. It is believed that Masqati’s popular dairy company has thousands of employees, which could potentially bring in at least 20,000 votes.
This move by Masqati is seen as a well-thought-out decision. With his influence over his employees and the local Arab community, who make up 10% of the Charminar constituency, he has the potential to bring in a significant number of votes for the Congress party.
