Months after it faced the danger of being thrown out of the electoral race for the civic polls, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) can now fly safely with its ‘Kite’. As per the notification issued by the State Election Commission (SEC) on October 18, the SEC has accepted ‘Kite’ as the party’s official symbol for the polls.
“We will be putting all our strength in the civic elections with the only agenda of development of minorities and Dalits. Now that we can fight polls on our symbol, the party will surely record spectacular performance,” said Warish Pathan, AIMIM MLA from South Mumbai. When asked whether the party would join hands with the Congress or the Samajwadi Party (SP), he said the decision will be taken by the party’s highest leadership.
As the SEC names the Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal (Secular), Lokjanshakti Party, All India Anna Dravid Munetra Kalagham, Janata Dal (United), and AIMIM with their respective election symbols as parties registered in other States, Arvind Kejariwal-led Aam Adami Party (AAP) is not even registered with the SEC, raising doubts as to whether it will be contesting the civic polls.
When contacted, AAP’s Preeti Sharma-Menon told The Hindu : “Yes, we are not registered with the SEC, but with the Central Election Commission. We are in the process of registering with the SEC and it will be done at the earliest.”
Replying to a query on whether the AAP will contest the Mumbai Municipal Corporation polls, which are likely to be held in February-March 2017, Ms. Sharma-Menon said the party will surely contest the Mumbai polls and necessary process has been initiated.
The SEC’s notification lists the Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena as regional parties. However, the MNS that sprung a few surprises in 2009 by winning 13 MLA seats and polling lakhs of votes in the Lok Sabha elections, lost the momentum in 2014 elections where only one MLA from the party was selected. Failing to fetch votes in the civic polls would lose the party’s status as a regional party.
