MP local polls: AIMIM wins 3 more seats, takes overall tally to 7 in civic election debut in BJP-ruled state

In counting for the second phase of the Madhya Pradesh civil body elections 2022 on Wednesday, the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) won three seats, taking the overall tally in the polls held earlier in July to seven. Meanwhile, BJP won 18 seats in the KMC as three went to Congress and 8 to independent candidates eight.

The party led by prominent Muslim leader Asaduddin Owaisi had brought home four seats in the counting of the first phase, for which polling was conducted on July 6. In counting for the second phase for which voting took place on July 13, the party added three seats in the Khargone Municipal Council (KMC). 

This was the Hyderabad-based parties debut in BJP-ruled MP’s civic body polls. The winners for AIMIM included Aruna Bai who won from KMC ward number 2 against nearest rival and BJP candidate Sunita Devi by a 31 vote margin.

Aruna Bai is from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community and stated that she had joined the party after being influenced by views of Asaduddin Owaisi on following the principles of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Owaisi had addressed public meetings in Khandwa, Bhopal and Jabalpur as his party's candidates campaigned for the polls.

Shakeel Khan from ward 15 and Shabnam from ward 27 of KMC completed the winners for AIMIM on Wednesday. Earlier in Sunday’s counting AIMIM won four corporator seats - two in Jabalpur and one each in Burhanpur and Khandwa.

413 municipal bodies, including 16 municipal corporations, 99 municipal councils and 298 Nagar Parishads went to elections in MP in two phases on July 6 and 13. 

Meanwhile, BJP won 18 seats in the KMC as three went to Congress and 8 to independent candidates eight.

(With inputs from PTI)