AIMIM to fight polls minus party manifesto

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) will campaign in the civic elections without an official party manifesto. Party leaders on Saturday said that they have not prepared any manifesto, but their aim for contesting elections will be expressed by their leaders during rallies and party campaigns.The AIMIM party, which has been banking on Muslim and Dalit votes, will make its debut in the BMC elections this year by fielding 62 candidates.

While AIMIM leaders admitted to not having a party manifesto at all for this election, the party has not gone soft on its communal stance. AIMIM Mumbai president Shakir Patni said that the party is committed to working for all minorities, which have been ignored by the Shiv Sena so far, irrespective of these areas being dominated by Muslims, Sikhs or other minorities.

AIMIM has fielded 62 candidates for the upcoming BMC polls, of which 12 are non-Muslims. Candidates have been fielded from Govandi, Chembur, Byculla, Bandra, Kurla and Bhindi Bazar.

The party also claims that its candidates are professionals (lawyer, doctors, engineers). AIMIM's MLA from Telangana, Yusuf Balalaika, confirmed that 80 per cent of the candidates are at least graduates. AIMIM is confident that the party will win at least 35 seats this time. "Once 35 corporators in the BMC are ours, we will ensure that at least Rs 500 crore is allocated for minority development," said a party leader.