Gave though competition to strong regional and national parties
By TCN News,
Nanded (Maharashtra): All India Majlis-e-Itehadul Muslimeen has showed excellent performance in the Nanded-Waghala city municipal council polls. MIM, which has not very strong presence in Marthwada region, has managed to win 13 seats.
MIM had contested 25 seats and its candidates including four Muslim women managed to make a mark in the council. MIM gave a robust competition to strong regional parties like Nationalist Congress Party and Shiv Sena, which won 10 and 14 seats respectively.
Indian National Congress fought hard to retain the municipal council and emerged as single largest party by winning 39 seats in the 81 member Municipal council. BJP showed a dismal performance by winning only 2 seats. Nanded is the constituency of Maharshtra, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and this victory of congress without the support of NCP is being considered crucial for his future in Marathwada region.
Shiv Sena faced drubbing despite its executive president Uddhav Thackeray, his son Aditya Thackrey personally campaigned in the city for days. On the BJP side, leaders like Gopinath Munde and Vinod Tawde campaigned earlier for their candidates but in vain.
Majlis-e-Itehadul Muslimeen leaders campaigned enthusiastically in Nanded months before the elections, including MIM President and Hyderabad MP Assaduddin Owaisi and party’s floor leader in the AP Assembly Akbaruddin Owaisi. MIM didn’t even hesitate in targeting its ally in AP and in center, Congress whom it blamed for using Muslims as mere vote bank.
MIM was a major force in Marathwada region when it was a part of erstwhile Hyderabad state. After independence and subsequent accession of the princely state, MIM gradually lost its influence in the region.
In recent years, it has again shown considerable rise in its influence in the districts of Marathwada, like Nanded, Ahmednagar. Its riveting performance in the Nanded city municipal council polls shows that MIM is trying hard to win back the lost ground.