Hyderabad: Though the Congress, BRS and BJP have fielded candidates in all the 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations going to polls on Feb 11, it is set to be a fierce four-cornered contest in at least 15 urban local bodies (ULBs), where the AIMIM is campaigning intensively.In all, the MIM has fielded 282 candidates in 43 various ULBs, though it is contesting only from one to five wards in a majority of these ULBs. Buoyed by its recent performance in Maharashtra municipal corporation elections, where it won 125 seats, party president Asaduddin Owaisi is leading the municipal poll campaign in Telangana.The party has fielded 19 candidates in Adilabad, 16 in Mahbubnagar, 15 in Karimnagar, 21 in Nizamabad, 24 in Bodhan, 18 in Bhainsa, 15 in Tandur, 19 in Nirmal, 14 in Zaheerabad and 13 in Sangareddy urban local bodies.“It is going to be a serious four-cornered contest or even a multi-cornered one in 15 ULBs, where the AIMIM and AIFB candidates, including those from K Kavitha-led Telangana Jagruti, CPI, CPM and some strong independents, are in the electoral fray,” a senior Congress leader said.In the 2020 municipal elections, the MIM won 87 seats after fielding 276 candidates. At the time, the party had an understanding with the BRS, which was then in the govt. Now, with the Congress in power, the ruling party has announced that there is no alliance with the MIM for the Feb 11 elections, except for an electoral understanding with CPI, CPM and Telangana Jana Samithi led by M Kodandaram.In 2020, the BRS won 1,686 seats, followed by the Congress with 569 seats and the BJP with 293. The elections were held for 3,535 wards across 120 municipalities and 11 municipal corporations. This time, polls are being held for 2,996 seats in 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations.While chief minister A Revanth Reddy has set a target of winning over 90% of the seats, the BRS has claimed that the downfall of the Congress will begin with these municipal elections. The BJP has accused both the BRS and Congress of doing nothing for Telangana, despite the BRS being in power for 10 years and the Congress completing two years in office.Sources said MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has set the target of winning Bhainsa municipality and its chairperson’s post, while also aiming to play the role of kingmaker by securing maximum seats in the Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Mahabubnagar and Nalgonda municipal corporations, as well as other municipalities. Owaisi has been conducting door-to-door campaigns for party candidates and addressing public meetings, where he claimed that the party will change the political equations in Telangana.
