acquired political complexion and after the death of Bahadur Yar Jang in 1944, Qasim Rizvi was elected as the leader. The Razakars, led by Kasim Razvi, were an Islamist paramilitary organization of self-styled volunteers formed, ostensibly, to resist merger with India. Razvi and MIM wanted a Muslim country to be carved out of Hyderabad as South Pakistan. The Razakars operated as "storm troopers" for the MIM. The 150,000 Razakar "soldiers", mobilized to "fight against the Indian Union" for the independence of Hyderabad State. After the Indian annexation of Hyderabad State, the MIM was banned in 1948. Qasim Rizvi was jailed from 1948 to 1957, and was released on the condition that he would go to Pakistan where he was granted an asylum. Before leaving, Razvi handed over the responsibility of whatever remained of the MIM to Abdul Wahed Owaisi, a lawyer. Owaisi organised it into the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen. Under his leadership, the AIMIM shifted from a hardline policy of independence to a pragmatic direction. After Abdul Wahed Owaisi, his son Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi took control of AIMIM in 1975 and was referred to as Salar E Millat (commander of the community). In Indian politics Andhra Pradesh/Telangana In 1960, AIMIM won the Mallepally ward of Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. In 1962, Salahuddin won from Patharghatti assembly seat as an independent candidate and later from Charminar constituency in 1967. In 1972, he won from Yakutpura and later in 1978, again from Charminar. In 1984 Salahuddin emerged victorious in the central seat of Hyderabad, which he represented the seat until 2004. Mohammad Majid Hussain of the AIMIM was unanimously elected as the Mayor of Greater Hyderabad on 2 January 2012. In 1993, AIMIM suffered a split, with a faction led by Amanullah Khan creating the Majlis Bachao Tehreek. As a result, AIMIM was reduced to a single Assembly seat in Andhra Pradesh in 1994. They won 4 seats in 1999, and increased their total to 7 in 2009, where they have remained since then. They joined the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance in 2008, but left it in 2012. AIMIM have 7 MLAs , 2 MLCs , 1 MP , 67 Municipal Corporators & 70 Councillors in Telangana. Maharastra The party won 2 seats at the 2014 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election. In 2018, AIMIM allied with Prakash Ambedkar's Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi. AIMIM and VBA contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra in