Asaduddin Owaisi's MIM fields Dalit candidate from Muslim-dominated constituency

FAIZABAD: Asaduddin Owaisi's MIM has decided to field a Dalit candidate from Muslim-dominated Bikapur constituency of Faizabad for the February 13 Assembly bypoll.

Pradeep Kori, a Dalit youth, is the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) candidate from Bikapur constituency. He is also the state president of 'Kori Society', an influential group among Dalit community members in the area.

The Assembly bypoll has been necessitated due to the death of sitting SP MLA Mitrasen Yadav.

Experimenting with his plan of 'Dalit-Muslim unity' ahead of the 2017 UP assembly elections, Owaisi is all set to hold a series of public meetings in this area in the first week of February to drum up support for his party.

"We are concentrating our strength in this constituency as there are more than one lakh Muslim voters and Dalits also in equal numbers," State president of MIM Shauqat Ali told reporters.

A special team of MIM from Hyderabad, Bombay and Lucknow is camping in the area ahead of the polls.

"We have a lot to convince the Muslim community as they have traditionally supported the SP," said Ali.