"They were not interested, did not contact us": AIMIM candidate from Bhiwandi Waris Pathan on fighting polls with Maha Vikas Aghadi

Bhiwandi (Maharashtra) [India], October 29 : After Waris Pathan filed his nomination as All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) candidate from Bhiwandi West seat, the former said that they were interested in contesting the Assembly polls with the Maha Vikas Aghadi but after several efforts, the alliance did not contact them.
Pathan on Tuesday filed his nomination from Bhiwandi (West) seat for the Maharashtra polls that will be held on November 20.
Speaking to the media on Maha Vikas Aghadi, Waris Pathan said, "We had told them, our Maharashtra President had also written a letter that we should come together to defeat the BJP but perhaps they were not interested. They did not contact us. We have a political party and contesting elections strengthens democracy."
"I am sure that the people of Bhiwani will bless me with votes and send me to the Maharashtra Assembly. These are all decisions of the party. The party has chosen me for Bhiwani, and that is why I am here today," the AIMIM leader added.
Waris Pathan is in the electoral fray against BJP candidate Mahesh Chougule and Dayanand Motiram Choraghe from Congress.
Earlier today, AIMIM Maharashtra Chief Imtiaz Jaleel also filed his nomination from Aurangabad (East) seat.
Earlier this year, Jaleel emphasized that he and his party are ready to support the opposition bloc INDIA to defeat the BJP in Maharashtra.
He told ANI that the INDIA bloc is harboring a false notion that they will be able to achieve good seats in the Maharashtra Assembly Polls but they are unaware that it is not Lok Sabha elections as votes will be cast on local issues.
The Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, with counting for all 288 constituencies set for November 23.
In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena 56, and the Congress 44. In 2014, the BJP secured 122 seats, the Shiv Sena 63, and the Congress 42.