NCP and Independents gain in Dhule Municipal Corporation

By Abdul Hameed Yousuf, TwoCircles.net,

Mumbai: Congress and Saffron parties saw a decline in their fortune and NCP gained in the elections to the Dhule Municipal Corporation held on Nov. 30th. Muslims running as independents and as NCP candidates have also increased their share.

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The election saw 57% polling for 65 of the 67 seats. Two candidates were declared winner unopposed- Muzaffar Ansari of Congress and a Shiv Sena candidate.

Communal riots that erupted in Dhule on October 15th affected the election. Congress that had 8 seats in the previous election could win only 3 this time Shiv Sena’s share reduced from 22 to 16 and BJP from 8 to only 3.

Present deputy mayor Ismail Pathan of Congress and present NCP mayor KD Mistri lost their seats in their respective constituencies.

Noticeably, among the elected corporators 15 are Muslims with 8 being females.

Fazlur Rahman, the chairman of L M Sardar High School and his wife Afzalunnisa Fazlur Rahman were nominated from NCP and won with a big margin.

Interestingly Sabir Seith and two candidates of Shiv Sena Mahesh Mistri and Hiraman, the main accused of the riots of Dhule fought election from the jails and succeeded. The independent candidate Sabir Seith Bhangarwala defeated his rival who was supported by Congress by a big margin.

After the announcement of the election results the political parties are trying to occupy the municipal corporation. NCP is more likely to claim for the post of mayor as it has secured the largest number of the seats.

Political pundits say that this time the independent candidates will play an important role in forming the rule.

Shawwal Ameen, a winning corporator was supported by Jamiat-e-Ulama-i-Hind.

‘There are 34 seats required to get the rule. We will seek help from secular faces,’ said Raj Wardhan Kadam, NCP MLA in Dhule. He also promised to appoint a Muslim on the post of deputy mayor and try to take steps for maintaining communal harmony in the city.

List of winning Muslim candidates: