Malegaon mayor election on Feb 7; ISLAM-SP alliance near majority

Weeks after the conclusion of Maharashtra local body elections the contest for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor at Malegaon Municipal Corporation in Maharashtrarsquos Nashik district has intensifiedThe Malegaon mayor election is scheduled for February 7 with the ISLAMSP alliance nearing majorityThree newly elected corporators have so far filed their nominations for the mayorrsquos post and five have been listed in contest for the deputy mayorrsquos position reported the PTIIn the civic elections held on January 15 the Indian Secular Largest Assembly of Maharashtra ISLAM emerged as the single largest party securing 35 seats in the 84member civic body The All India MajliseIttehadul Muslimeen AIMIM followed with 21 seats while the Eknath Shindeled Shiv Sena won 18 seats The Samajwadi Party SP secured five seats the Congress three and the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP two seatsAs per PTI the magic figure required to prove a majority is 43The ISLAM party and the SP have come together to form the Malegaon Secular Front securing a combined strength of 40 seats The alliance now needs the support of only three more corporators to reach the majority markFor the mayorrsquos post Sheikh Nasrin Bano Mohammed Khalid and Sheikh Tahera Sheikh Rasheed both from the ISLAM party and Lata Ghodke of the Shiv Sena have filed nominationsFor the deputy mayorrsquos post ShaneHind Nihal Ahmed and Mohammed Mustkim Mohammed Mustafa both from the SP Hafiz Abdullah Mufti Mohammed Ismail AIMIM and Narendra Sonawane and Nilesh Kakde both from the Shiv Sena are in the fray reported PTIA special meeting has been convened on February 7 to elect the mayor and deputy mayor Nashik Collector Ayush Prasad will preside over the meetingCongress begins campaign in ZP polls in RaigadAhead of the upcoming Zilla Parishad elections 2026 Congress on Tuesday began its campaign in Maharashtras Raigad district calling for victory in the upcoming local pollsMaharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal hit the campaign trail across Raigad district warning that industrialists were encroaching on the rights of the ldquosons of the soilrdquo and urging voters to support Congress MVA candidates in the Zilla Parishad pollsSpeaking at rallies in Jasai Chirner Satirje and Chondhi Sapkal said the enthusiasm among party workers showed victory was within reachldquoThe Zilla Parishad election is about safeguarding local rights and traditions Congress MVA is set to perform strongly in Raigad and power will be in our handsrdquo he saidSapkal cited public leader D B Patilrsquos historical fight for local communities and said the region now faced fresh challenges from ldquocapitalist interestsrdquo He appealed to voters to unite and ensure a Congress MVA win to block these forcesOn the issue of the Navi Mumbai airport Sapkal reiterated Congressrsquos longstanding demand to name it after D B Patil ldquoDevendra Fadnavis is avoiding this The airport currently shows the NM Navi Mumbai name but any attempt to rename it after Narendra Modi will not be acceptedrdquo he saidRaigad District Congress Committee President Mahendra Gharat Rajabhau Thakur and other senior party leaders accompanied Sapkal during the campaignWith PTI inputs