Owaisi's AIMIM mulls contesting civic body elections in Madhya Pradesh

INDORE: Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is exploring the possibility of contesting the next year's civic body elections in the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, a party functionary said on Wednesday.

The Hyderabad-based party, which put up a good show in the recent Bihar assembly polls, winning five seats, has nevery contested any election in Madhya Pradesh.

A number of urban local bodies in the state, including Indore and Bhopal municipal corporations, are likely to go to polls in early 2021.

Dr Naeem Ansari, acting president of the AIMIMs MP unit, told PTI, "We are exploring the possibility of contesting the next civic elections in Indore, Bhopal, Ujjain, Khandwa, Sagar, Burhanpur, Khargone, Ratlam, Jaora, Jabalpur, Balaghat, Mandsaur and some other places."

Ansari said under the guidance of Syed Minhajuddin, state in-charge of the AIMIM and a three-time councillor of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), the party is conducting an internal survey.

"The AIMIM chief (Owaisi) will decide about contesting the next local body elections on the basis of this survey report," he said.

The BJP had recently challenged Owaisis party in its stronghold Hyderabad during the GHMC elections.

Politics of Madhya Pradesh has traditionally been bipolar with the Congress and the BJP being the main players.

Asked about electoral scope in Madhya Pradesh for a political force like the AIMIM, Ansari said, "The people of the state are fed up with both the parties (Congress and BJP) due to their caste-based politics and decline in basic services like health and education, and are looking for a third option."

He said, "The AIMIM started its work in Madhya Pradesh in 2015, but we have not contested any election in the state so far."

Ansari said the AIMIM is focusing on expanding its base in the state before the upcoming local body elections.

Another AIMIM leader said before these elections, efforts are being made to invite Owaisi for public programmes in the state to create an atmosphere in favour of the party.