AIMIM's Internal Rift Derails Lone Nagpur Corporator Nomination
An internal rift within the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has derailed its lone nominated corporator seat in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) on Wednesday, creating political uncertainty even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress finalized their nominees smoothly.
Confusion Over AIMIM Candidate Selection
AIMIM state president Imtiyaz Jaleel announced Fahim Ansari as the party's official nominee, but former Congress functionary Narendra Jichkar emerged as another candidate allegedly backed by local AIMIM leaders. Jichkar reportedly attempted to submit his nomination along with AIMIM corporator and party leader Shakil Patel, but party workers created a ruckus and prevented municipal commissioner Vipin Itankar from accepting his form.
By evening, the civic body confirmed receipt of only nine nominations—seven from BJP and its ally Shiv Sena, and two from Congress. The AIMIM nomination remained unsubmitted due to the internal dispute.
Allegations and Denials Surface
Fahim Ansari expressed frustration, stating, "My name was declared by the state president, but leaders tried to change it at the last moment. I was misled while efforts were made to submit someone else's form." He alleged monetary influence in the process.
In contrast, Narendra Jichkar later told TOI, "I had gone to NMC for some work and stayed there for some time. The report that I was going to be an AIMIM candidate is completely baseless."
Shakil Patel clarified that the party's official candidate was finalized around 2:30 PM. He claimed that Ansari's nomination form had not been filled properly, which is why it could not be submitted, and emphasized there was no question of the party nominating any other candidate.
Impact on Political Dynamics
The lack of consensus within AIMIM and its coordination with the Indian Union Muslim League-backed Muslim Bahujan Vikas Aghadi has stalled their quota seat. This fallout is likely to impact their chances of staking claim to the "mini mayor" post in Ashi Nagar, with zonal elections beginning Thursday and voting scheduled for Friday.
With rifts surfacing, AIMIM's lone seat remains uncertain, weakening its bargaining power in the municipal corporation.
BJP and Congress Nominate Smoothly
In contrast to AIMIM's turmoil, BJP and Congress finalized their nominations without major hiccups. Neither party nominated any women, opting to field younger faces and reversing the usual trend of appointing senior leaders as nominated corporators.
BJP city president Dayashankar Tiwari announced seven nominees, ensuring representation across all Assembly segments. The party selected:
- Devendra Meher
- Vinod Baghel
- Sanjay Thakre
- Jitu Thakur
- Ritesh Gawande
- Subodh Acharya
while allocating one seat to the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), which nominated Suraj Goje.
Congress finalized Ketan Thakre, son of city president Vikas Thakre, and businessman Atul Kotecha, though the party faced internal protests over these nominations.
Seat Allocation Based on House Strength
According to the House strength, BJP (with 102 corporators) gets seven nominated seats, Congress (with 34 corporators) gets two, and AIMIM (with six corporators) gets one. The current impasse leaves AIMIM's representation in limbo, highlighting the party's internal challenges in Nagpur's political landscape.
