Daijiworld Media Network - Malegaon
Malegaon, Jan 17: The Maharashtra civic poll results have marked a decisive shift in the state’s urban political landscape, with the long-standing Congress dominance in Malegaon coming to an end and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) significantly expanding its footprint across several cities.
In a major upset, the Indian Secular Largest Assembly of Maharashtra (ISLAM) party, floated by former NCP MLA Asif Shaikh, emerged as the single-largest party in the Malegaon Municipal Corporation in its maiden contest. ISLAM won 35 seats in the 84-member civic body, effectively breaking the Congress’ hold over the Muslim-majority powerloom town. However, the party fell short of the majority mark of 43 seats. Its ally, the Samajwadi Party, secured five seats.
AIMIM emerged as the second-largest party in Malegaon with 21 seats, registering a sharp rise from seven seats in the previous election. The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena improved its tally to 18 seats, up from 12 last time. Congress suffered a dramatic collapse, winning just three seats, two of which were bagged by the party’s city unit president Ejaj Beg and his wife. The Bharatiya Janata Party managed to secure only two seats in the town.
Beyond Malegaon, AIMIM recorded notable gains across Maharashtra, particularly in Muslim-dominated wards. According to AIMIM leader Shareque Naqshbandi, the party won a total of 114 seats statewide. It performed strongly in cities including Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Malegaon, Amravati, Nanded, Dhule, Solapur, Mumbai, Thane, Jalgaon and Chandrapur.
AIMIM won 33 seats in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, 21 in Malegaon and 15 in Amravati. In Nanded, 13 AIMIM candidates emerged victorious, while the party secured 10 seats in Dhule, eight in Solapur and six in Mumbai. It also won five seats in Thane, two in Jalgaon and one in Chandrapur.
A significant milestone for AIMIM came in Mumbai, where the party secured its first-ever seat in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. AIMIM candidate Mehzabin Khan won from Ward No. 134, marking the party’s debut in the country’s richest civic body, which carries immense political and financial significance.
Earlier, AIMIM national spokesperson Waris Pathan had dismissed exit polls as unreliable and expressed confidence in the party’s performance. “Exit polls often fail to capture the real mood of voters. The people have blessed us with their votes,” he had said.
Maharashtra voted for 29 municipal corporations, including the high-stakes BMC, with the results closely watched amid heightened political rivalry following the Mahayuti alliance’s sweeping victory in last year’s assembly elections.