CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR: Defying internal dissent, ticket-related rebellions, sharp criticism, and even the resignation of key office bearers in protest against party state president and former MP Syed Imtiaz Jaleel’s decisions related to ticket distribution, the All-India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) significantly improved its electoral performance in the civic polls. It won 33 seats in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation and bagged a total of 126 seats across Maharashtra.
The improved tally in Sambhajinagar marked a clear jump from the 2015 municipal corporation elections, when the party had secured 24 seats.AIMIM also registered gains in several urban pockets across the state. The party has won 21 seats in Malegaon, 14 in Nanded Waghala, 12 in Amravati, 10 in Dhule, 8 in Solapur, and eight in Mumbai. It also secured six seats in Nagpur, three in Akola, two each in Ahilyanagar and Jalna, and five seats in Thane.Reacting to the results, Imtiaz Jaleel said the verdict dispelled the long-held false perception of AIMIM being confined to a single community. “The results broke the misconception that AIMIM is an ‘only Muslim’ political party. Hindu, SC, and ST community candidates were elected on AIMIM tickets,” he said. Citing the example of Gulmandi ward in Sambhajinagar, traditionally considered a Shiv Sena-BJP stronghold, he noted that two of the four winning candidates there were from AIMIM.Jaleel also outlined the party’s political approach in the civic bodies, stating that AIMIM would support BJP on initiatives that benefit citizens while firmly opposing decisions that go against the public interest.The party’s performance assumed added significance against the backdrop of internal turmoil triggered after Jaleel dropped 21 of the 24 councillors who won in 2015 from Sambhajinagar. The move had sparked protests and dramatic scenes by disgruntled politicians, forcing AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi and his brother, MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi, to intervene.In Sambhajinagar, the Congress suffered a near-total wipeout, losing 70 of the 71 seats it contested. The lone Congress winner was Maleka Habib Qureshi, who managed to retain her seat after a tough contest against an AIMIM candidate. Congress had won 11 seats in 2015, and the disastrous results are being credited to poor planning and failure to portray itself as an alternative to communal polarisation.The Political TurbulenceThe political turbulence in the old city spilled onto the streets and into police stations. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) found itself battling intense internal dissent after denying tickets to over 20 sitting corporators. In some localities, photographs of AIMIM state president and former MP Syed Imtiaz Jaleel were torn and trampled by his most trusted loyalists, highlighting the scale of resentment. The anger manifested dramatically, with eggs thrown at Jaleel, an attack on his SUV, and an alleged attempt to drag him out and assault him. Police also resorted to a mild lathi charge to disperse rival groups. An FIR was registered at Jinsi Police Station against Kaleem Qureshi, his brother Habib, and around 60 others, following this clash between Qureshi and Jaleel’s supporters, in which police themselves were complainants. Two members of the Qureshi family, including Kaleem, are Congress party candidates. A counter FIR was later filed by Habib’s wife, Maleka, at City Chowk Police Station against AIMIM candidate Feroz Khan and his family members. To contain the damage, AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi and MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi camped extensively in the city. Asaduddin Owaisi undertook four foot marches, spread across two days, covering areas where party candidates were in the fray. The Owaisi brothers delivered speeches repeatedly invoking “ittehad” (unity), warning supporters not to squander the political ground the party had built beyond Hyderabad due to internal feuds.
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