AIMIM is contesting 20 seats across six municipalities and municipal corporations in Andhra Pradesh’s November 1 urban local body elections, targeting the Kadapa mayor’s post and the Hindupur municipality chairperson’s position as it seeks to build a wider presence beyond Telangana.
The Hyderabad-based party has fielded Shaik Naseem Banu for the Kadapa mayoral contest and candidates in Vijayawada, Nandyal, Adoni, Hindupur, Rayadurg and Penukonda. Six of its 20 candidates are women. The campaign is being positioned by the party as its most focused effort yet in Andhra Pradesh civic elections.
According to AIMIM Andhra Pradesh in-charge Samad Bin Abdad, the party initially filed nominations for 31 candidates, but the final contest was reduced to 20 nominees. He said the party chose to concentrate on wards where it believed it had realistic prospects instead of contesting across every municipality.
AIMIM is contesting seven wards in Adoni, four in Hindupur, three each in Rayadurg and Vijayawada, and one each in Penukonda and Nandyal. The Kadapa mayoral contest is being managed alongside the ward-level campaign. The results will provide the party with an electoral measure of its grassroots organisation in these urban centres.
The party has deployed six Hyderabad MLAs, an MLC and senior leaders from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra for the campaign. Samad is coordinating the effort, with leaders assigned to specific municipalities and wards. Nampally MLA Majid Hussain campaigned in Anantapur, Penukonda and Hindupur before travelling to Vijayawada. Charminar MLA Jaffer Hussain Meraj covered Nandyal, Penukonda and Hindupur, while Bahadurpura MLA Mohammed Mubeen was assigned to Kadapa in support of the mayoral candidate. Malakpet MLA Ahmed Bin Abdullah Balala led the campaign in Adoni, and MLC Riyaz ul Hasan Effendi also joined the effort.
The campaign reflects a wider attempt to establish an organisational base in Kadapa, Vijayawada, Nandyal, Anantapur and Hindupur. Party leaders have also visited towns such as Madanapalle, where AIMIM is not contesting, to increase visibility and prepare for future elections.
The party’s expansion strategy draws on earlier municipal representation in the state. AIMIM has previously won one ward in Hindupur and two wards in Adoni. Party sources said president Asaduddin Owaisi advised the Andhra Pradesh unit to contest selectively in wards where it had a reasonable chance of performing well.
The November 1 results will show whether the party’s concentrated campaign can convert existing ward-level representation into a broader presence in Andhra Pradesh’s urban local bodies. They are also expected to inform AIMIM’s strategy ahead of future Assembly elections in the state.
