By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Mumbai: Maharashtra election results came as a huge boost for Hyderabad based All India Majlis-e-Itehadul Muslimeen which since past year was drumming the uproar of expansion in other states.
MIM fielded 24 candidates for Maharashtra assembly election, many of whom were new and political novice, out of which two registered victory while many others gave amazing performance.
Three of its candidates from Solapur Center, Parbhania and Aurangabad East finished as runner up, while eight others from Nanded South, Aurangabad West, Vandera East, Versova, Malegaon, Mumbra, Kuria, and Mumbadevi finished third with respective votes.
![Crowd in Akbaruddin Owaisi's public meeting.](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3934/15340708639_a3a8e4b231_z.jpg)
MIM rally in Mumbai (File photo)
From total 24 constituencies MIM has contested across Maharashtra its candidates combined pulled 5,16,632 votes in total.
Till afternoon MIM had leads on seven seats but by evening resulst were clear and party open up their account winning two seats from Byculla in Mumbai and from Aurangabad (Center).
The first confirm news of MIM victory came from capital Mumbai, where Advocate Waris Pathan won from Byculla seat defeating powerful candidates getting 25,314 votes. Interestingly both Congress and BJP candidates were having same name ‘Madhu Chavan’, BJP finished second with 23,957 votes. Former Don Arun Gawli’s daughter Geeta Gwali was also in the fray supported by Shiv Sena, she finished 4th with 20,895 votes.
Former NDTV journalist Imtiyaz Jaleel who jumped into MIM’s Muslim identity politics bandwagon just a month back gave a resounding victory to the party in its stronghold Aurangabad. Mr. Jaleel won from Aurangabad Central getting 61,843 votes, where Shiv Sena finished 2nd with 41,861 votes.
Apart from the wins party’s second rank performance was also very impressive. MIM till afternoon maintained huge lead in Aurangabad East, but in the end its candidate Abdul Gaffar Quadri lost the race with over 4,000 votes’ margin. In East MIM got 60,268 votes while winner BJP pulled 64,528 votes.
In Parbhani Syed Khaled of MIM finished 2nd getting, 45,058 votes Shiv Sena’s Dr. Rahul Patil won the seat with 71,584 votes.
Nanded district which gave rise to MIM’s politics in Maharshtra failed to send any representative in the assembly. Even though MIM supremo Asaduddin Owaisi personally campaigned and devoted much of his time in Nanded, still MIM’s candidates from North and South finished on third position.
MIM state president Syed Mohin Akhter who led the party to impressive victory in Municipal corporation election contested from Nanded South. After having good lead in early trends, Syed Mohin finished third getting 34,590 votes. Shiv Sena won the seat with 45,836 votes.
In Nanded North Abdul Raheem got 32,333 votes, D.P. Sawant of Congress won the seat with 40,356 votes.
Solapur has certainly over done the loss of Nanded, MIM fielded candidates from all three seats of the district and gave suprising performance.
In Solapur City Center MIM candidate Taufeeq Sheikh gave though fight to former home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde’s daughter and sitting MLA Pariniti Shinde. MIM finished 2nd getting 37,138 votes, Parniti Shinde won with 46,907 votes.
Even MIM’s Dalit candidates performed well in Solapur. Vishupant Gavade in Solapur North got 12,358 votes, while Arjun Salgar got 12,363 votes both getting 4th spot. Interestingly MIM candidate Gavade in North was even ahead of Shiv Sena.
Another magnificent performance of MIM’s Dalit candidate came from Kurla where Avinash Gopichand pulled 25,741 votes more than what NCP-Congress combine got. He finished 3rd.
Former transport minister Gangadhar Gade of Panthers Republican Party who allied with MIM and became its official candidate to fight in Aurangabad West finished 3rd, getting 35,348 votes. Again double of what Congress candidate received.
In Akkalkot constituency Subhash Shinde of MIM got 1,642 votes finishing 5th, again MIM candidate was ahead of Shiv Sena even if it was 40 votes difference.
Capital Mumbai from where party fielded maximum number of its candidates saw huge turn of support.
Legendary singer Mohd Rafi’s son Shaid Rafi was MIM candidate from Mumbadevi taking on heavy weight sitting MLA Amin Patel. Mr. Rafi finished 3rd getting 16,165 votes. While Amin Patel retained the seat inspite of Muslim vote divide, he got 39,188 votes.
In Versova another constituency in Mumbai saw commendable performance from MIM. Hamid Shaikh finished 3rd getting 20,127 votes. BJP won the seat with 49,182 votes.
Vandera East saw Siraj Khan of MIM finishing 3rd getting 23,976 votes. In Andheri West MIM candidate M.A. Hussain got 3,821 votes more than NCP to cheer for.
MIM candidates fielded against Samajwadi Party’s Azmi family couldn’t make any major inroads. Altaf Kazi from Murkhud Shivajinagar got 4,505 votes where Abu Asim Azmi won with 41,719 votes. In Bhiwandi East Akram Khan of MIM did ate major vote bank of Azmi’s son Farhan Azmi getting 14,577 votes. Mr. Farhan was ahead by getting just 17,541 votes.
In Thane’s Mumbra-Kulwa constituency MIM’s Asharf Mullani got 16,374 votes and finished 3rd. while NCP’s Jintendra Awhad got the Muslim support require winning with over 40,000 vote’s margin.
In Malegaon Central constituency MIM faced tough fight against Congress Muslim candidate and NCP’s sitting Muslim MLA. MIM’s Malik Yunus finished 3rd with 21,050 votes, while sitting MLA Mufti Ismail Qasmi of NCP got 59,175 votes and became runner up. Congress young leader Aasif Shaikh won the seat getting 75,326 votes.
Meanwhile, after this impressive debut in Maharashtra, MIM now plans to focus on Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and other states, a jubilant party president Asaduddin Owaisi said in a press conference on Sunday evening.