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Peaceful Malegaon elects a mayor now

Peaceful Malegaon elects a mayor now

Author:
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: June 16, 2002

Introduction: The elected mayor is accused of whipping communal passions by organising an anti-US rally last year which allegedly caused riots

Eight months after 13 persons were killed in the communal flareup in Malegaon, former MLA and Janata Dal (Secular) leader Nihal Ahmed Maulavi Mohammad Usman (75), who was then accused of whipping up communal passions, was today elected the first Mayor of Malegaon.

At the first meeting of the general body of the newly formed Malegaon Municipal Corporation (MMC), Nihal secured so votes, defeating Congress nominee, Haji Mohammed Ibrahim with a margin of 39 votes. Ibrahim could gamer only 11 votes, while all the 11 Shiv Sena members, who were asked to abstain from voting by their party leadership, stayed away from the meeting. The House has 72 members.

There were four contenders in the fray for the mayoral chair out of which two: Yunus Isa of SP and Asif Shaikh of Congress, withdrew their candidature before the polls.

In the election to the deputy mayor's office, JD(S) nominee Rashid Yevlewale defeated Congress candidate Suleman Shah. Rashid secured 50 while Shah got 11 votes. Sena's 11 members abstained. Nihal's ascension to the mayoral chair was a foregone conclusion as the JD(S) had emerged as the single largest party in the civic polls held on May 10, securing 35 out of the 72 seats. Moreover, the Samajwadi Party (SP), which had made a significant debute by winning 12 seats, had decided to back his candidature. Two independents and one member each of the RPI and the Muslim League had also pledged their support to Nihal. Shiv Sena members abstained from voting. The Sena has 11 members, the Congress has 9 and the BJP 1.

Nihal, a socialist who was imprisoned under the National Security Act from 1975 to 1977 during the emergency, was elected from Malegaon to the legislative assembly on six occasions in the past, in 1967, 1978,1980,1985,1990 and 1995. In the last polls in 1999, he was defeated by Congress candidate, Shaikh Rashid. He was a minister in the Progressive Democratic Front Government led by Sharad Pawar in 1978.

The erstwhile Malegaon Municipal Council was established in 1863. It was upgraded to a corporation in December 2001 and the first elections were held a month ago. Malegaon has a population of about 7 lakh, including 75 per cent Muslims.

Nihal had drawn flak for organising a procession in Malegaon in October last year to protest against the US attack on Afghanistan. The protesters had carried pictures of Osama bin Laden and shouted slogans in his support. Exactly a week later, Malegaon erupted in communal flames claiming 13 lives.
 


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