Hyderabad: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has mounted its most focused campaign yet in Andhra Pradesh’s urban local body elections, contesting 20 seats across six municipalities and municipal corporations while targeting key leadership posts, including the Kadapa mayor’s seat and the Hindupur municipality chairperson’s post.The Nov 1 polls are being seen as a test of the Hyderabad-based party’s ability to expand its footprint beyond Telangana and strengthen its organisational presence in Andhra Pradesh.The party has fielded Shaik Naseem Banu for the Kadapa mayor’s post and candidates in Vijayawada, Nandyal, Adoni, Hindupur, Rayadurg and Penukonda. Of the 20 candidates in the fray, six are women.According to AIMIM Andhra Pradesh in-charge Samad Bin Abdad, the party had initially filed nominations for 31 candidates, but the final contest is restricted to 20 nominees. The strategy, he said, is to focus on wards where the party believes it has realistic prospects rather than spreading itself thin across all municipalities.AIMIM is contesting seven wards in Adoni, four in Hindupur, three each in Rayadurg and Vijayawada, and one each in Penukonda and Nandyal, in addition to the mayoral contest in Kadapa.To boost its campaign, the party has deployed six MLAs from Hyderabad, an MLC, and several senior leaders from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. Samad is coordinating the campaign, with leaders assigned specific municipalities and wards to oversee mobilisation efforts.Nampally MLA Majid Hussain campaigned in Anantapur, Penukonda and Hindupur before moving to Vijayawada. Charminar MLA Jaffer Hussain Meraj covered Nandyal, Penukonda and Hindupur, while Bahadurpura MLA Mohammed Mubeen was tasked with campaigning in Kadapa for the party’s mayoral candidate. Malakpet MLA Ahmed Bin Abdullah Balala led the campaign in Adoni. MLC Riyaz ul Hasan Effendi also joined the election effort.The campaign reflects AIMIM’s broader attempt to build an organisational base in Kadapa, Vijayawada, Nandyal, Anantapur and Hindupur. Party leaders have also campaigned in towns such as Madanapalle, where AIMIM is not contesting, to improve visibility and prepare for future elections.Sources said AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi advised the state unit to contest only in wards where the party had a reasonable chance of performing well. Having previously won a ward in Hindupur and two wards in Adoni, AIMIM views the municipal polls as an opportunity to gauge its grassroots strength.Beyond securing representation in local bodies, the results are expected to shape the party’s strategy for expanding its influence ahead of future assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh.
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