By Imran Inamdar, TwoCircles.net
Although the country is still waiting for “Achche Din”, it is clear that Asaduddin Owaisi-led All Indian Majlis Ittihadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is likely to enjoy the same in Maharashtra in light of the recent municipal elections.
The party, which fielded 60 candidates in the elections, has won a total of 36 seats across 25 districts of the state including Beed, Karad, Shahada, Umarkhed, Malkapur and Shegao among others.
Currently the party has two MLAs in the state, elected from Aurangabad central and Byculla, Mumbai. In the municipal elections, the party received good response from Muslim-dominated constituencies like Nanded, Aurangabad and Kalyan and managed to win nearly 40 seats in these areas.
In a conversation with Twocircles.net, party legislator Imtiyaz Jaleel gave credit to people, and said that Muslims have now started showing their presence in the political circle. “We too have right to join the power for the development. Or focus is to increase the number of Muslims in the local governing bodies for the political development of the community,” he added.
Maharashtra core committee member Anjum Inamdar commented, “This win was special for because we achieved this without any alliance with national or regional parties.” He said that apart from Muslims, the party also received good support from Dalits and Marathas. “I must thank all the voters for keeping faith in us. The rallies of the Owaisi brothers played a key role during election campaign,” he added.
It is notable that elections in another 17 local bodies are scheduled to be held in third week of December including Nanded, Thane and Solapur, which have been strong areas for the AIMIM.