The All India Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) won a Lok Sabha seat in a 1994 by-election, two seats in the 1996 general elections, one seat in the 1998 general election and one seat in the September 1999 general election (Political Handbook of the World: 1999 1999, 443; IndiaMap n.d.). The party's president, Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi, captured the Hyderabad seat in Andhra Pradesh state in 1989, 1991, 1996, 1998 and 1999 (ibid.; Indian Parliament n.d.a; ibid. n.d.b).

Indian media reports contain occasional references to AIMIM, but information on the treatment of the party's members, supporters, workers or leaders could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

AIMIM president and Member of Parliament for Hyderabad, Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi, was contacted but was unable to provide information within the time constraints of this Response.

For general information on the situation of Muslims in India, please consult IND31301.E of 2 March 1999.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

IndiaMap. n.d. "Political Parties: All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen." http://www.indiamap.com/elections/parties/aimim.htm [Accessed 6 June 2000]

Indian Parliament. n.d.a. "Andhra Pradesh." http://pib.nic.in/election/99elecrslt/elec99html/99lsr030.html [Accessed 6 June 2000]

_____. n.d.b. "Biographical Sketch: Shri Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi." http://alfa.nic.in/lok13/biodata/13ap30.htm [Accessed 6 June 2000]

Political Handbook of the World: 1999. 1999. Edited by Arthur S. Banks and Thomas C. Muller. Binghamton, NY: CSA Publications.

IRB databases.

LEXIS-NEXIS.

World News Connection (WNC).

One oral source contacted.

Internet sources including:

Almanac of Politics and Government.

Amnesty International.

Human Rights Internet (HRI).

Human Rights Watch (HRW).

India-Web.

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)

Political Parties, Interest Groups and Other Movements.

UK Home Office country assessments.

Wilfried Derksen's Electoral Websites.

Internet search engines:

AlltheWeb.com

Dogpile

Google

Metacrawler

GoTo.com