Enthused with support from SCs and dalits, AIMIM has also decided to contest from saffron bastions – Gulmandi, Raja Bazar, Khadkeshwar and Aurangpura.
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Aurangabad: Buoyed after winning two seats in 2014 assembly election in Maharashtra – one of it being the Aurangabad (Central) seat – the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is now aiming at the forthcoming civic body polls in the city by declaring to contest 60 of the 113 wards.
The election to Aurangabad Municipal Corporation is due on April 22.
AIMIM MLA Imtiyaz Jaleel (middle) and his team holding interviews for candidates ahead of Civic Polls in Aurangabad
This will be AIMIM’s maiden attempt to try its luck at the urban body polls by contesting such large number of seats, six months after its maiden foray in the state assembly polls. The party already has 11 corporators in the Nanded civic body.
Interestingly, the party is enthused with the support it is getting from SCs and dalits and hence decided to contest even from the saffron bastions – Gulmandi, Raja Bazar, Khadkeshwar and Aurangpura.
Earlier in February, as many as 15 local leaders including many corporators from different parties has joined AIMIM. Among these were 10 dalits belonging to Panther Republic Party (PRP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Dalit Bahujan Mahasangh and Bheem Shakti.
Announcing fielding of candidates from 60 wards, Imtiyaz Jaleel, party’s Aurangabad MLA on Wednesday told a press conference: “The party will contest 60 or even more seats in the civic elections. We are not only going to contest the wards known as Sena and BJP bastions but are confident of winning them. During the interviews for finalising the candidates, irrespective of his or her religious background, our primary focus will be on the candidate’s image, education and social contribution.”
Final candidates would be announced on April 5 or 6, he said.
He blamed Shiv Sena for non-development of many wards and of selectively focusing on certain wards, and said, “The Sena has failed to deliver in 25 years and the time has come to vote for a change.”
He promised overall development irrespective of wards won or lost by the party. “Even though there is BJP-Sena government in the state, I will ensure development funds for the Aurangabad Central assembly constituency in a couple of months,” Jaleel said.
Jaleel challenged Congress and NCP leaders, who are voicing against MIM alleging it of dividing secular votes, for a debate on the issues related to the corporation instead of mudslinging.
He also took on Chandrakant Khaire, Shiv Sena MP, and asked as to why he is so much interested in civic polls and spending so much of his energy on it. Demanding Khaire to answer the questions related to the parallel water pipeline, he said, “The controversial parallel pipeline is being forced on the city and through this project, water – which is a natural commodity – will be given in the hands of private player/s. The cost of the project which was initially Rs 395 crore, irrationally increased to Rs 1,000 crore and contractors and officials are called for the meetings of this project at Matoshri (residence of Shiv Sena chief Thackeray family).”
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