Jaipur, July 27 (IANS): The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), led by Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday announced that it will contest the upcoming Panchayat and Municipal body elections in Rajasthan.

The move marks party’s first organised attempt to contest grassroots elections in the state.

Rajasthan’s local elections have traditionally been dominated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress.

AIMIM plans to field official party nominees as well as supported candidates, in an effort to establish its presence at the local level.

According to party insiders, the decision to contest local body elections came after AIMIM’s state president Jamil Khan moved a proposal before party chief Asaduddin Owaisi, seeking his nod for the same.

Owaisi approved the proposal and exhorted party’s state unit to brace up for the challenge, asking them to fight the polls with full organizational strength.

AIMIM’s office-bearers and workers in the state have intensified election preparations.

In a virtual meet at party office, the state president Jamil Khan told workers that AIMIM would make its debut in Rajasthan’s urban local body and Panchayati Raj elections, designing its campaign around grassroot issues.

He said the party aims to become a strong voice for local concerns, public rights, and civic issues across Rajasthan.

The party has also drawn up a roadmap to strengthen its organization at the grassroots level.

Spokesperson Arif Mohammad said the party will soon launch an extensive public outreach campaign across Rajasthan to improve coordination between district-level units and mobilize workers. He added that the party intends to field candidates with a strong public connect and local influence at the district and ward levels.

AIMIM’s announcement has drawn attention in Rajasthan’s political circles, where elections have largely been a contest between the BJP and the Congress.

Political observers believe the party could influence electoral dynamics, particularly in Muslim-majority and minority-concentrated urban local bodies.

While AIMIM hopes to emerge as an alternative political force, the extent of its electoral impact on the BJP and Congress vote share will become clear only after the elections.

A couple of party leaders maintained that voters in Rajasthan are looking for a political alternative beyond the state’s traditional BJP-Congress rivalry.

–IANS

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