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Aurangabad: December 30 Posted on 6:13 PM IST
The release of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) candidate list for upcoming local body elections in Maharashtra has triggered internal unrest within the party, with protests reported in Aurangabad over alleged neglect of senior party workers.
Following the announcement of candidates for the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation elections, several AIMIM leaders and workers staged a protest, demanding the removal of Maharashtra AIMIM president and former Member of Parliament Imtiaz Jaleel from his post. Protesters accused the state party leadership of adopting a unilateral approach in ticket distribution.
Senior AIMIM leader Nasir Siddiqui, who has twice contested Assembly elections from the Aurangabad Central constituency on the party’s ticket, was among those leading the protest. Speaking to the media, Siddiqui alleged that long-time and committed party workers were sidelined in favour of new entrants with financial influence and little ideological connection to the party.
He claimed that arbitrary decisions by the state leadership were harming the party’s prospects at the grassroots level. However, Siddiqui clarified that he had no intention of leaving AIMIM and ruled out any possibility of rebellion or defection.
Responding earlier to criticism over ticket allocation, Imtiaz Jaleel stated that nearly 50 applications were received for each ward, while only one candidate could be selected. He maintained that dissatisfaction among unsuccessful aspirants was inevitable and urged party workers to maintain patience and discipline.
AIMIM is contesting local body elections in several cities across Maharashtra, including Aurangabad, Mumbai,Thane, Pune, Beed, Nanded, Parbhani Jalna and Solapur, as part of its strategy to expand its presence in urban municipal politics.
The party has also recently faced another setback in the state, with senior leader Farooq Shaabdi, Mumbai unit president and a two-time Assembly election candidate from Solapur Central resigned from AIMIM a few days ago.
These developments reflect emerging internal challenges within AIMIM in Maharashtra ahead of the crucial civic polls. However, party observers note that intense grassroots-level competition for local body tickets is a healthy sign, indicating organisational depth and growing interest within the party.
Mohammed Naseer Giyas is a multi-media and bilingual journalist with over 20 years of experience across print, digital, and television media. Founder of Raftaar-e-Deccan, he is an alumnus of IVLP, Thomson Reuters Foundation, and ICFJ, and has worked with leading English and Urdu news organisations.
