AIMIM likely to contest UP panchayat polls

Ballia: The All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) is likely to contest the upcoming panchayat polls in Uttar Pradesh under an electoral pact with regional outfit Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP).

The SBSP, headed by former UP minister Om Prakash Rajbhar, is garnering smaller and regional parties under the Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha.

“Candidates belonging to Asaduddin Owaisi’s party are likely to be fielded in the panchayat elections as the Morcha’s joint candidate,” Rajbhar told reporters here on Wednesday.

He said the nine constituents of the Morcha



will hold meetings at all the 75 district headquarters of the state on January 17.

“After this, a joint rally of the Morcha will be organised. It will be addressed by Owaisi as well as other leaders of the front,” he said.

Uttar Pradesh has a total of 58,758 ‘gram panchayats’ and as many panchayat heads.

As per a state government notification, the five-year tenure of 58,660 ‘gram panchayats’, barring 88 of Gautam Budh Nagar and 10 of Gonda districts, where gram panchayat elections were held later, ended on December 25.