Author:
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: June 16, 2002
Introduction: The elected mayor
is accused of whipping communal passions by organising an anti-US rally
last year which allegedly caused riots
Eight months after 13 persons were
killed in the communal flareup in Malegaon, former MLA and Janata Dal (Secular)
leader Nihal Ahmed Maulavi Mohammad Usman (75), who was then accused of
whipping up communal passions, was today elected the first Mayor of Malegaon.
At the first meeting of the general
body of the newly formed Malegaon Municipal Corporation (MMC), Nihal secured
so votes, defeating Congress nominee, Haji Mohammed Ibrahim with a margin
of 39 votes. Ibrahim could gamer only 11 votes, while all the 11 Shiv Sena
members, who were asked to abstain from voting by their party leadership,
stayed away from the meeting. The House has 72 members.
There were four contenders in the
fray for the mayoral chair out of which two: Yunus Isa of SP and Asif Shaikh
of Congress, withdrew their candidature before the polls.
In the election to the deputy mayor's
office, JD(S) nominee Rashid Yevlewale defeated Congress candidate Suleman
Shah. Rashid secured 50 while Shah got 11 votes. Sena's 11 members abstained.
Nihal's ascension to the mayoral chair was a foregone conclusion as the
JD(S) had emerged as the single largest party in the civic polls held on
May 10, securing 35 out of the 72 seats. Moreover, the Samajwadi Party
(SP), which had made a significant debute by winning 12 seats, had decided
to back his candidature. Two independents and one member each of the RPI
and the Muslim League had also pledged their support to Nihal. Shiv Sena
members abstained from voting. The Sena has 11 members, the Congress has
9 and the BJP 1.
Nihal, a socialist who was imprisoned
under the National Security Act from 1975 to 1977 during the emergency,
was elected from Malegaon to the legislative assembly on six occasions
in the past, in 1967, 1978,1980,1985,1990 and 1995. In the last polls in
1999, he was defeated by Congress candidate, Shaikh Rashid. He was a minister
in the Progressive Democratic Front Government led by Sharad Pawar in 1978.
The erstwhile Malegaon Municipal
Council was established in 1863. It was upgraded to a corporation in December
2001 and the first elections were held a month ago. Malegaon has a population
of about 7 lakh, including 75 per cent Muslims.
Nihal had drawn flak for organising
a procession in Malegaon in October last year to protest against the US
attack on Afghanistan. The protesters had carried pictures of Osama bin
Laden and shouted slogans in his support. Exactly a week later, Malegaon
erupted in communal flames claiming 13 lives.
