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Shaikh Asif, erstwhile Congress MLA from Malegaon Central, announcing the motorboat of his governmental enactment called ISLAM successful Malegaon connected Sunday. (Express Photo)
Former Malegaon Central Congress MLA Shaikh Asif has launched a governmental enactment called ISLAM and announced a program to contention the Maharashtra Assembly polls—a determination that whitethorn airs a situation to mainstream parties vying for power successful the Muslim-majority constituency that helium had represented.
Asif announced the enactment of the Indian Secular Largest Assembly of Maharashtra (ISLAM) astatine Malegaon’s Diamond Lawns connected Sunday night. This is apt to complicate the electoral scenery for established parties seeking to reclaim their foothold successful the constituency with 76 per cent Muslim voters.
“Since the BJP came to power, determination has been a changeless onslaught connected Islam done assorted statements. My imaginativeness for this caller enactment is to guarantee that, erstwhile we are successful power, we volition strive to enact a instrumentality that punishes those who insult religion,” Asif stated arsenic helium besides announced his candidacy for the Malegaon Central seat.
Asif is the lad of the precocious Shaikh Rasheed, who had represented Malegaon Central doubly earlier passing distant earlier this year. Having served arsenic politician of Malegaon, Asif was elected arsenic an MLA successful 2014 connected a Congress ticket. However, successful 2022, helium and his begetter near the enactment owing to disagreements with its authorities leadership. He past joined the undivided Nationalist Congress Party. After the NCP split, Asif was seen gravitating towards Ajit Pawar’s faction but has yet chosen to contention Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024 nether his ain governmental banner.
Asif’s determination to signifier a caller governmental beforehand volition alteration the traditionally bipolar Malegaon Central elections into a multipolar contest. The constituency is represented by the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen’s (AIMIM) Mufti Ismail, who defeated Asif successful the 2019 elections by astir 40,000 votes. Mufti Ismail, a cleric-turned-politician, gained prominence aft the 2006 Malegaon blasts and has go a important governmental unit by tapping into section Muslim sentiments by launching a people’s beforehand called Kaumi Mahaz. He won the 2009 elections connected a Jan Surajya Shakti summons but aboriginal joined the NCP, contesting unsuccessfully successful 2014 earlier winning his spot for the AIMIM successful 2019.
The Samajwadi Party is besides eyeing Malegaon Central, with enactment main Akhilesh Yadav visiting the metropolis past week to denote the information of Shan-E-Hind, girl of the precocious five-time MLA and socialist person Nihal Ahmed. However, it remains unclear whether the Congress is prepared to relinquish the seat, arsenic Malegaon Congress president Ejaz Baig is seen arsenic a frontrunner for it.
Muslims signifier 11.56 per cent of Maharashtra’s colonisation and play a decisive relation successful 38 of the 288 Assembly seats. However, arsenic the lone spot wherever a Muslim MLA is guaranteed election, Malegaon Central is unsocial and the bulk of candidates person historically been from the number community.
In a metropolis wherever the clergy importantly influences taste values and residents are profoundly connected done Islamic traditions, it remains to beryllium seen whether a enactment named ISLAM tin successfully pull voters.
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