The Jamat-e-Islami Hind, one of the leading religious and social organizations of Muslims in the country is on the verge of a taking the plunge into active politics. The top policy making body of the Jamat,the Central Advisory Council is meeting in New Delhi [Images] on Saturday with a single-point agenda of floating a political party of its own. Though the idea was being discussed within the organization for almost one year now and a committee has even gone into the name of the party, the three day meeting of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Advisory Council) will put its seal of approval on the decision.

The Jamat sources said that the launching of the new political party will be announced at the end of the meeting at the party's headquarters in New Delhi on Monday. "Though it will be Jamat's brain child, it will have an independent entity with its doors open to all the communities. It will have social justice and empowerment of weaker sections as its goal", sources close to the exercise said.

This is an extraordinary movement in the 60-year history of the Jamat-e-Islami Hind, which earlier abhorred electoral politics and had even prohibited its members in the past from casting votes. However after the Emergency, the Jamat's policies started changing gradually and in the last elections it even campaigned in support of secular candidates.

Earlier in an interview to this correspondent the Jamat chief Moulana Jalaluddin Ansar Umri said that though the party will be in place before the Lok Sabha elections, it will not field any candidate in the polls as time was too short. "Going to the people and explaining our manifesto and mobilization them is not possible in few months", he said.

However the proposed party will start its political activities and may also extend support to the secular and winnable candidates in different constituencies across the country.

"It will be a party of Muslims and work in the interest of Muslims. But it will also take up problems of the common man and the weaker sections", he said.

About the possible stand of the Jamat and the political party in the coming elections, Moulana Jalaluddin said that fascist and the anti minority forces should not be allowed to come to power. "Secular parties including Congress and other regional parties are more favorable to the minorities", he said.

Creating a formation of different Muslim organizations at the national level was also part of the long term plan of Jamat.