Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): There are three new players - the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) - which have the entered the political pitch of Madhya Pradesh, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress have so far played a domineering role.
This fact has come to light after the results of three-tier civic elections in the state were recently out.
The AAP has won the mayoral seat of Singrauli and 17 councillors post in different municipalities of the state. Besides, the AIMIM and the SDPI have emerged victorious for the several post of councillors in various regions.
The AIMIM has won a total of seven councillor seats which include three seats in Khargone, two seats in Jabalpur, one each in Khandwa and Burhanpur. The SDPI has also won a total of three seats for the post of councillor in Neemuch district.
On the other hand, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has conquered one seat in Berasia Nagar Palika of Bhopal. Nonetheless, it was not the first time that the NCP had fielded its candidate in the election fray. NCP candidate Sabana beat her nearest rival and independent candidate Parveen Bi by 16 votes in ward 7.
AAP candidate Rani Aggarwal has defeated her nearest rival BJP candidate Chandra Pratap Vishwakarma by 9352 votes. Rani got 34585 votes, Vishwakarma got 25233 and Congress candidate Arvind Singh Chandel stood at third position with 25031 votes.
Besides, the AAP won five corporators in Singrauli which include ward 3, ward 15, ward 24, ward 32 and ward 33.
The 12 other corporators include ward 5 and ward 12 in Dabra, ward 1 and ward 10 in Pichhore and ward 9 in Bhitarwar, ward 3 Alampur in Bhind, ward 9 Porsa in Morena, ward 14 in Sheopur, ward 5 Vijayraghogarh in Katni, ward 27 in Shajapur, ward 3 in Orchha, ward 1 Naigarhi in Rewa.
In the second phase of counting held on Wednesday, the AIMIM registered victory for three councillor posts in Khargone from ward 2, ward 15 and ward 27. Interestingly, a Hindu candidate Aruna Bai, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, contested from ward 2 of Khargone Municipal Corporation and she defeated her nearest rival and BJP candidate Sunita Devi by 31 votes. Shakeel Khan and Shabnam emerged victorious from ward 15 and ward 27 respectively.
Earlier, the AIMIM won four councillor seats in the first phase of counting held on July 17. Saman Parveen Mateen won from ward 49 and Samreen Qureshi won from ward 51 of Jabalpur Municipal Corporation. Parveen defeated Congress candidate Sayma Wasim by 1527 votes and Qureshi beat her nearest rival and Congress candidate Shabnam Firdaush by 209 votes.
Shakira Bilal won from ward 14 of Khandwa Municipal Corporation and she defeated Congress candidate Noor Jahan Begum by 285 votes.
In Burhanpur Municipal Corporation, AIMIM's Rafik Ahmed won from ward 2 by 255 votes.
SDPI candidates Aamna Bi and Jafar Shah have won from ward 10 and ward 11 in Rampura Nagar Palika whereas Arbina Bi has won from ward 14 in Manasa Nagar Palika of the district.
Nevertheless, both the national parties may have patted their back for doing well in the civic polls, but three new entrants won't let them sleep well till the assembly polls next year.
