Entry of AIMIM in BMC Polls fold, presents new challenges for Congress and Samajwadi Party

The announcement of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) into the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation election is likely to play a crucial role with the Assauddin Owaisi-led party likely to attract minority votes that would have otherwise gone to the Indian National Congress or the Samajwadi Party.

 

Though the sole dark horse in the municipal election, the AIMIM’s entry has added a new dimension in the election which has already seen breakage of alliance between the Indian National Congress and Nationlist Congress Party, and ruling alliance partners Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) quarrelling with each other. Then there’s the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena MNS) whose railway engine is not on track.

 

So, how will the AIMIM’s presence change the poll equation in the financial capital of the country?

 

Of the total 227 wards in BMC, there are 77 wards which represent the minority population. Earlier, these voters were either with the Samajwadi Party or the Congress. But these wards have been seeing a change in voting since 2014 after AIMIM started increasing its presence in the state and began focusing on the minority and Dalit pockets closely. In fact, the AIMIM opened its account in the last state Assembly election with Waris Pathan winning from the Byculla constituency and former media person Sayed Imtiyaz Jaleel winning from the Aurangabad constituency. Not only that, in the recent civic poll in Aurangabad, AIMIM won 26 seats. It also opened account in Kalyan-Dombiwali Municipal Corporation with four corporator seats. Now with AIMIM turning its focus on the BMC and Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) election, its presence is likely to affect the poll results.

 

Sources confirmed with Firstpost that AIMIM will be contesting on 77 seats with considerable minorities and dalit population. Both Owaisi brothers — Asaduddin Owaisi, MP and president of AIMIM and his younger brother Akbaruddin Owaisi, MLA in Telangana assembly — are conducting minimum a 30 public meetings for the BMC election. The strong pockets for AIMIM is Kurla, Byculla, Masjid Bunder, Sandhurst Road, Malwani, Bandra, Bhendi Bazar, Nagpada, Jogeshwari, Behrampada, Malad, Oshiwara, Golibaar and Bharat Nagar. In the 2012 BMC body, Congress had 52 corporators whereas Samajwadi Party had 9 Corporators. AIMIM’s focus on 60 plus wards and their MLA constituencys might just be the winning formula.

 

“We are preparing a detailed schedule for the Owaisi brothers meetings, which will start in February. We are focusing on minority and Dalit population wards. We have not yet decided the actual wards in the BMC election, but the party will not let down minorities, the Dalit and the poor people of Mumbai,” said Waris Pathan, adding that the Owaisi brothers are the star campaigners for AIMIM.