Malegaon voters' verdict against divisive politics

MALEGAON: Provocative and fiery speeches laced with emotional overtures by the Owaisi brothers and the confidence of sitting MLA Mufti Ismail that he would lure the voters once again merely on the basis of his oratory skills didn't find many takers in the Malegaon Central assembly seat.
The election result, however, shows that the people of Malegaon have rejected politicians talking on divisive lines and instead chosen those standing for the development and welfare of the constituency, observers said.
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), the Hyderabad-based party led by Asaduddin Owaisi, has made its political debut by winning two seats in the state assembly. The rallies of Asaduddin and his younger brother Akbaruddin Owaisi had drawn large crowd, especially a large number of youths.
Observers said that had the people voted for MIM, the politics in Malegaon Central assembly constituency would have slipped back into the era of the leadership of Janata Dal leader Nihal Ahmed. For over three decades, the elections were won not on the basis of manifestos and development, but merely on politics of hate and emotion.
The results have shown that Malegaon have not only rejected the Owaisi brothers but also forced Nihal Ahmed's son Bulund Iqbal to bite the dust.
"Malegaon gained nothing due to the politics of Nihal Ahmed, who was MLA of the city for over three decades. Instead, the city paid a heavy price for sending Nihal Ahmed to the state assembly. They realized this after the October 2001 riots," said Lubna Sarwat, lecturer in a local college.
Sarwat, who teaches politics, also keeps a close watch over political developments in the region. "When the Owaisi brothers tried to sell the politics of hate, they found no takers in Malegaon. Surprisingly, Asaduddin Owaisi could not impress by naming the accused in the 2006 Malegaon blast case and saying they were his brothers," she said.
MIM candidate Abdul Malik got 21,050 votes, while Bulund Iqbal fared even worse. He could get a meagre 6,721 votes, some 70,000 votes less than the winner Asif Shaikh of Congress.
Political analysts said that Mufti Ismael's dismal performance during the last five years and his failure to live up to the expectations also helped Asif Shaikh, who projected himself as a 'man of development'.
"In 2009, people of Malegaon had not only given Mufti Ismael votes but also money to contest the election. They expected that the man with excellent oratory skills will be their voice in the assembly. They were shocked when they found that he regularly missed assembly sessions," said political researcher Dr Naeem Siddqui.
Gauging the public mood, Asif Shaikh had declared during his speeches that he would not contest election again if he failed to fulfill the promises he was making.
Malegaon Central Result
CandidatePartyVotes
Asif ShaikhCongress75,326
Mufti IsmaelNCP58,075
Abdul MalikMIM21,050
Bulund IqbalJanata Dal6,721 votes