Will declare candidates for Telangana soon: Asaduddin Owaisi

"We will soon declare candidates for Telangana. Our party is prepared for the elections. Our party works throughout the year and has been working for the last 4.5 years," Owaisi said in a press conference on Monday after the Elections Commission announced the dates of election for five states.

"I am sure that in Telangana where we have our MLAs and where we will fight, people will favour our candidates. We will make sure that a peaceful election takes place in the spirit of the election. We want a free and fair election," he added.

Speaking about the elections in Rajasthan, Owiasi said, "In Rajasthan, elections are on November 23. We have already declared our 3 candidates in Rajasthan."

The Election Commission on Monday announced the schedule for assembly polls in Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana. Elections will be held in Mizoram on November 7, Chhattisgarh on November 7 and November 17, Madhya Pradesh on November 17, Rajasthan on November 23 and Telangana on November 30.

Speaking about the Israel-Hamas conflict, Owaisi said, "... A late BJP leader once said about Palestine that land worth billions has been acquired. We had released a postage stamp for solidarity with Palestine..."

"This shifted when Congress came into power...The Oslo Agreement came into existence which said that in West Bank and Gaza, an independent Palestinian country would be made. It has been 30 years now... The world knows that there is the Al-Aqsa mosque there. The Gaza Strip has been blocked for the last 16 years... It is an open-air prison," he added.

On Saturday, Hamas launched a "surprise attack" on Israel, firing a barrage of rockets into the southern and central parts of the country.

The death toll in Israel since Hamas began its attack has surpassed 700 people, according to officials, The Times of Israel reported citing Hebrew media outlets. Among the dead, dozens of soldiers and police were killed in the attack. (ANI)