AP Municipal Polls: AIMIM Fields 21 Candidates, Eyes Kadapa Mayor Post

AIMIM Enters AP Municipal Polls With 21 Candidates

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), led by Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, has entered the Andhra Pradesh municipal elections, reportedly fielding 21 candidates across selected urban local bodies.

The party is contesting the Kadapa Municipal Corporation mayoral election and the Hindupur municipal chairperson election. It has also fielded candidates for corporator and councillor positions in several towns, particularly in Rayalaseema.

In Kadapa, AIMIM has fielded Shaik Naseem Banu for the mayoral position. Her nomination reportedly cleared scrutiny, marking the party’s entry into the city’s mayoral contest.

In Hindupur, former Congress leader Imran Basha, who recently joined AIMIM, has entered the municipal chairperson race. The party has also nominated candidates in Vijayawada, Adoni, Rayadurg, Nandyal and Penukonda.

According to reports, AIMIM leaders from Andhra Pradesh recently met Asaduddin Owaisi in Hyderabad to discuss the party’s election plans. Owaisi reportedly advised them to focus on wards and divisions where the party has an established support base rather than contesting widely.

As part of the campaign, AIMIM legislators from Hyderabad, including Jaffer Hussain Meraj, Mohammed Mubeen and Majid Hussain, have been participating in election-related activities in Andhra Pradesh. MLC Riyaz Ul Hassan Effendi has also been involved.

AIMIM has previously contested municipal elections in Andhra Pradesh. In the 2021 elections, the party secured a ward in Hindupur, demonstrating its earlier participation in the state’s urban local body politics.

The latest nominations come as the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission has rescheduled municipal polling to November 1, following Supreme Court directions concerning complaints over the nomination process. Counting is scheduled for November 3.

AIMIM’s participation adds another party to the municipal contest, where candidates from the ruling TDP-Jana Sena-BJP alliance, YSRCP, Congress and other parties are also seeking local body positions.