By Mehboob Inamdar
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has fielded Imtiaz Jaleel, a former MP, as its candidate for the Aurangabad East Assembly Constituency (109). There are nine Constituencies in the district while AIMIM is contesting polls in two Assembly Constituencies.
Imtiaz Jaleel who won Assembly elections from Aurangabad Central Constituency in 2014 was fielded in Aurangabad East Constitutency this time around. A total of 69 candidates submitted nomination papers from the Constituency while 29 aspirants are in the fray after the withdrawal of 40 candidates.
AIMIM was defeated twice in this Constituency in 2019 and 2014. This time around, it fielded Imtiaz Jaleel, who has experience as an MLA (Aurangabad Central Assembly Constituency in 2014) and MP (2019).
Sitting MLA and current Housing Minister Atul Save won the elections during the last one decade. This is his third term. Other prominent candidates from the Constituency and vote pullers are Lahu Shevale (Congress, Maha Vikas Aghadi), Afsar Khan (Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi), Dr Gaffar Quadri (Samajwadi Party) and Sheetal Bansode (Bahujan Samaj Party).
AIMIM city president Shareque Nakshabandi said that senior leaders of the party were leaving no stone unturned to convince rebel candidates to support the party’s official candidates to avoid vote division.
“Our candidate lost the Assembly elections with a slight margin in 2014 and 2019 from the constituency. This time around, former MP Jaleel who has good experience Assembly election of 2014 and the Parliamentary polls in 2019 and 2024, was fielded from East Constituency. AIMIM got good votes from this Constituency during the last Lok Sabha elections,” he said.
According to sources, there is ward and booth-wise planning to get voting done. The sources the leaders are organising ward-wise rallies to reach out to the voters. The top leaders of the party are giving preference to corner meetings besides mega public meetings. Leaders like Asaduddin Owaisi have already entered the city to inspire leaders and activists for the canvassing. He also addressed public meetings in several areas. One of the major problems of the Constituency is traffic congestion and water.
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votes & candidates
--Aurangabad East Constituency has 3,52,313 votes
--29 candidates in the fray
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Result of 2019
--BJP candidate Atul Save-winner- Votes 93,966
--Dr Abdul Gaffar Quadr (AIMIM)-80,036 votes
--Margin of votes of victory 13,930