Mumbai: Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) party is contesting only 16 seats in the upcoming Assembly polls in Maharashtra on November 20.

This is about one-third of the 44 seats it contested in the 2019 elections and even fewer than the 22 seats in 2014.

Given its recent decline in fortunes, AIMIM sources indicate that the party has prioritized "winnability" over expanding its base in the vast state of Maharashtra. Amid a complex electoral landscape with shifting loyalties among coalitions, AIMIM aims to position itself as a "kingmaker" by securing five to seven seats, according to an Indian Express report.

“We had received 230 applications for contests from ticket aspirants, but we decided that instead of big numbers we must focus on important seats which we can win. We are very sure that the seats we have selected are going to give us positive results,” said Imtiaz Jaleel, the AIMIM’s Maharashtra unit president and former Aurangabad MP, while speaking to The Indian Express.

Jaleel is counting on the dynamic nature of the Maharashtra polls, where new political alignments will be tested, the Maratha quota agitation will influence outcomes, and "confusion" exists regarding the ideological affiliations of some leading candidates.

Calling it a “complex election’, Jaleel said that it is likely that neither of the two alliances—the ruling Mahayuti or the opposition MVA—will emerge victorious with full majority as there are too many players in fray.

“In this scenario, any party with five to seven MLAs could emerge as a kingmaker," Jaleel asserted.

AIMIM has nominated four Dalit candidates for the SC-reserved seats, aiming to consolidate Muslim-Dalit votes in its favor.

The party's campaign highlights issues such as mob lynching, minority persecution, and the hijab, which resonate with a significant portion of the Muslim community, said the report.

Jaleel said that he received significant Dalit support in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections when he won the Aurangabad seat while allied with Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA).

Although that alliance could not be reformed this time, he believes they still have the backing of the Dalit community, which is facing a leadership crisis.

He noted that the Dalit masses are turning to his party as they advocate for the preservation of the Constitution, and he also indicated that the Maratha community is looking to them due to the agitation for the Maratha quota led by Manoj Jarange Patil.

The four Dalit candidates fielded by the AIMIM are contesting from Miraj in Sangli, Murtijapur in Akola, Kurla in Mumbai and Nagpur South in Nagpur. The remaining candidates are Muslim faces contesting from Aurangabad East, Aurangabad Central, Bhiwandi West, Versova, Byculla, Mumbra, Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar, Malegaon, Dhule, Solapur, Nanded South and Karanja. Jaleel himself will contest from the Aurangabad East constituency.

The Malegaon and Dhule seats are currently held by AIMIM. In the 2019 Assembly polls, the party stood second in Aurangabad Central, Aurangabad East, Byculla, and Solapur City Central.

AIMIM sources indicated that by contesting fewer seats, the party aims to shed the "BJP's B team" label given by various INDIA alliance parties in Maharashtra, as both blocs target similar voter bases. An AIMIM leader said that if the party wanted to cut into MVA votes, it would have contested 230 seats.

He maintained that AMIM is a serious player in Maharashtra politics.

The party had previously sought an alliance with the MVA.

Jaleel claimed he proposed an alliance to Congress and NCP, but Congress rejected it.

AIMIM's reduced electoral push comes amid a decline in fortunes, as Jaleel lost the Aurangabad seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the party lost Byculla and Aurangabad Central in the 2019 Assembly polls.