Municipal Polls: Independents, Rebel Candidates From Major Parties Pose Major Challenge

Adilabad: Independents and rebel party candidates are active in municipal elections in the erstwhile Adilabad district. They are giving a tough competition to party candidates in several wards.

In several municipal wards, the stragglers are spending money on par with the candidates of major political parties. Some candidates of the All India Forward Bloc are also giving a tough fight to nominees of prominent political parties in Adilabad municipality.

Former municipal chairperson Rangineni Manisha, who quit the BRS, joined the AIFB. She and others from the Bloc are contesting the polls with the Lion symbol.

Chances are strong that the rebel candidates take away a part of the votes of their parent party, which could work to the disadvantage and defeat of the official candidates of these parties.

Four leaders of the Congress, who were denied party tickets, are contesting as independents. Some of them are popular and have pockets of support.

The AIMIM is giving a tough fight to the Congress and BRS parties in wards where the Muslim population is strong. Expectations are that the AIMIM might win five ward councillor seats in Adilabad and that the party could play a key role in deciding who should be the next chairman.

AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has announced that the party would prevent the BJP from winning the chairman post in Adilabad, Nirmal and Bhainsa municipalities. The Muslim vote bank influences the results in these cities that boast of a strong MIM presence.

Adilabad Municipality has 49 wards and 1.43.655 voters. Of the 216 polling stations, 128 are considered to be ‘critical’.

Some independent candidates in the fray are also giving a tough fight to the candidates of the major political parties in Asifabad municipality, which has 20 wards.