After Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Delhi, AIMIM Makes Its Mark in Maharashtra: How Owaisi Is Redrawing Electoral Equations

Mumbai: The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), led by Asaduddin Owaisi, has delivered a striking performance in Maharashtra’s recent municipal corporation elections, signalling a decisive shift in India’s urban political landscape. Once considered a party confined largely to Hyderabad’s Old City, AIMIM is now emerging as a potent minority-centric political force with influence far beyond its traditional base.

In elections held across 29 municipal corporations in the state, AIMIM secured an impressive 126 councillor seats in 13 corporations. Its performance in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was particularly eye-catching, where the party won eight seats—four times more than the two seats it managed in the 2017 elections. The results have firmly placed AIMIM in the spotlight of national politics, underscoring how even a limited but strategic presence can generate wide-ranging political ripples.

Hyderabad remains AIMIM’s organisational stronghold, with the party currently holding seven MLAs, two MLCs, and a substantial presence in local bodies across Telangana. Beyond the state, AIMIM has consolidated its footprint in Bihar, where it has five MLAs, and has steadily expanded in several urban centres across the country by focusing on minority-dominated constituencies.

Ahead of Sharad Pawar’s NCP

In Maharashtra, AIMIM’s tally of 126 councillors has placed it well ahead of Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which trails at nearly one-third of that number. The party now stands only around 30 seats behind Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction) in the state’s municipal landscape. AIMIM further strengthened its credentials by winning the Malegaon Central seat in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, reinforcing its hold over minority-dominated urban pockets.

A Familiar Pattern in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh

AIMIM’s growing relevance has followed a familiar pattern in other states as well. In the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections, the party failed to win a seat but emerged as a decisive factor in Mustafabad, securing 33,474 votes in a constituency with nearly 40 per cent Muslim population. The division of opposition votes ultimately benefited the BJP, whose candidate Mohan Singh Bisht won by a margin of 17,578 votes—highlighting AIMIM’s capacity to influence outcomes even without electoral victories.

A similar trend was evident in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. AIMIM contested selectively, and in at least seven constituencies—including areas in Bijnor and Moradabad—the party’s vote share exceeded the margin by which the BJP defeated the Samajwadi Party-led alliance. Political analysts argue that AIMIM’s presence reshapes electoral dynamics, compelling opposition parties to reassess strategies while indirectly consolidating religious polarisation on both sides.

Owaisi: The Face and the Force

At the heart of AIMIM’s expansion is Asaduddin Owaisi himself. A powerful orator with sharp parliamentary skills, Owaisi has emerged as the most prominent Muslim political leader outside the Congress. His speeches resonate strongly with urban and semi-urban voters, particularly among sections with limited formal education, where he is viewed as a bold and articulate voice of assertion.

In Parliament, Owaisi consistently raises issues related to minority rights, citizenship laws, and urban governance, targeting both the BJP and the Congress. His engagement in international parliamentary outreach—particularly with Islamic countries following Operation Sindoor—has further elevated his national profile, allowing him to project himself as a representative voice of Indian Muslims on a global stage.

With its growing footprint across states and cities, AIMIM has evolved into a strategic disruptor in Indian politics. From municipal corporations in Maharashtra to closely fought Assembly constituencies in the north, the party’s influence now extends far beyond Hyderabad—reshaping debates, recalibrating alliances, and altering electoral outcomes across the country.