Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The AIMIM party has this year denied tickets to 21 former corporators, leading to widespread anger among them. Strong resentment spread among all the former corporators. Coming out openly against local and senior leaders, they vented their fury by tearing up and trampling photographs of party leaders. The disgruntled leaders came together and raised the banner of rebellion against the AIMIM.
The AIMIM had adopted a cautious approach while announcing its candidates. After the first and second lists were released, clashes broke out between two groups in Kiradpura. All former corporators were hopeful that they would be accommodated at least in the third or fourth list. However, on seeing the final list released on Tuesday morning, many were left stunned. Aspirants who had completed all preparations for the elections managed to secure tickets from the Congress and other parties at the last moment. Those who failed to get tickets from any party decided to file nominations as independents. Each of them began uniting disgruntled supporters in their respective prabhags and formed separate panels.
All former corporators from the city gathered at the Ganesh Colony office of Naser Siddiqui at 2 pm on Tuesday. After prolonged deliberations there, they came out of the office and tore up and trampled photographs of local leaders. State spokesperson Aref Hussaini, Shaikh Ahmed, Shaikh Azim, Abu Lala Hashmi, along with several other aspirants, were present on the occasion. Anger over denial of tickets was also gradually visible in other parts of the city. The AIMIM did not issue any clarification regarding these developments.
Allegations of sale of tickets
Four former corporators had to struggle hard to obtain tickets, while the remaining 21 were denied tickets. Naser Siddiqui alleged, while speaking to the media, that tickets had been sold for lakhs of rupees.
Flashback
In 2015, the AIMIM contested the municipal corporation elections for the first time. It fielded candidates in 60 out of the city’s 115 seats, of which as many as 24 candidates were elected. One independent later extended support. Tickets of 21 of these were cut on Tuesday. All of them had been kept in the dark until late Monday night and the early hours of Tuesday.