Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) gave a historic performance in Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) elections on Friday, as the party’s six candidates stood victorious in the polls. With these six seats, AIMIM bagged the third highest number of seats in NMC elections after BJP (102) and Congress (34). A big win for AIMIM came in Prabhag No 30 of Nehru Nagar Zone (Zone 5) as three of AIMIM candidates secured victory. Previously, Prabhag No 30 was a stronghold of BJP but in this election, the voters showed faith in AIMIM. Prabhag No 30, which consists areas like Bidipeth, New Subhedar Layout, Dattatray Nagar, Ashirwad Nagar, Tajabad Darbar, Sindhiban, Thakur Plots, Sartaj Colony, Santoshi Mata Nagar, Solanki Wada, Agnishaman Karyalaya, Nirala Layout, Shambag, Sakkardara Lake, Chhota Tajbag, and some parts of Bhande Plots, said no to BJP this time whereas Indian National Congress (INC) candidate and former corporator Sanjay Mahakalkar from Prabhag No 30 succeeded in retaining his seat as he won the battle in Ward No 30B. In Ward No 30A, Varsha Bandu Dongre of AIMIM upset BJP’s Payal Kundelwar and Congress party’s Rita Chandrikapure. Similarly, in Ward No 30C, Tasnim Parvin Khan of AIMIM defeated Snehal Bihare, the former BJP corporator and contesting this election on Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde)’s ticket.

 

Congress candidate Seema Raut stood third in the contest. Another AIMIM candidate, Shakil Patel routed BJP’s Ajay Khadatkar and INC’s Amanulla Khan on Ward No 30D. AIMIM candidates also secured three seats in Prabhag No 3 of Ashi Nagar Zone (Zone 9) on Friday. Sofia Asif Sheikh won in Ward No 3C by defeating BJP’s Komal Talvekar, whereas Pawan Koye of AIMIM beat former corporator Gopichand Kumre of BJP. Similarly, another AIMIM candidate Alisha Khan also won the Ward No 3D seat after defeating former corporator Bhagyeshri Kantode of BJP. 

 

 

Prabhag No 6, which is a huge vote bank of minorities in all elections, this time, gave unanimous verdict to Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) as the party bagged all four seats. In 2017 civic polls, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) bagged all four seats in Prabhag No 6 and IUML candidates finished second in all four wards. This time, IUML defeated BSP candidates in all four seats. IUML candidates Rekha Patil (6A), Ansari Mohd Mujataba (6B), Sayema Qureshi (6C), and Aslam Khan Mulla (6D) stood first in the Prabhag.