By IANS
Malegaon (Maharashtra) : Intense political maneuverings are underway here to forge a ruling combination to run the Malegaon Municipal Corporation a week after the civic elections threw up a hung house last Monday.
Unable to digest a stunning defeat at the hands of a nascent development-oriented outfit, established political parties, the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular), are trying hard to add numbers to their combined strength of 27 (15 plus 12) in the 72-member civic body.
But the leader of the third front, styled as Indian Muslim Congress Party, Mufti Mohammed Ismail has sent his pack of 27 members to an undisclosed destination in a bid to pre-empt poaching by the two parties. Vulnerable members of other parties too have been sent into hiding, political sources said.
Claiming to have secured support of at least two independents and two members of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) besides the lone Samajwadi Party councilor, the Congress and the Janata Dal need five more members to gain control of the civic body they have earlier ruled.
The mufti, however, appears to be on a firmer ground, assured as he is of the support of four independents besides that of the militant Hindu nationalist Shiv Sena, which has asked for the crucial post of standing committee chairman in the bargain. Sena has six members in the newly elected civic body.
While some observers feel that the local clergy might accept the support of the 15-member Congress group if it drops the insistence on the mayor's post besides offering some long-term benefits, most others rule it out as Ismail is certain to contest the next assembly election against the sitting Congress MLA Sheikh Rashid.
Indeed Ismail, who launched a blistering attack on both the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular), during his election campaign, has gone on record saying that taking support of either of them would amount to violation of the popular mandate, which is clearly against the two "discredited" parties.
The religious leader had also clarified immediately after the declaration of results that he won't mind taking support of any other party, including the Shiv Sena, provided they support his "no politics, only development" principle in civic governance.
He had campaigned on the twin themes of 'vikas' (development) and 'bhaichara' (communal harmony).
If – and this is a possibility – Ismail's party does come to power with the support of the Shiv Sena in the bomb-blast shattered Malegaon sullied by a long history of communal violence, the event will be a watershed in the history of Indian politics.
Malegaon was rocked by a bomb blast Sep 8, 2006 in which 37 people were killed.
The mayoral election is likely to be held by June 12 or 13, June 14 being the last day of the incumbent mayor's tenure.