Malegaon Municipal Elections: MIM vs BJP-Shiv Sena for City's Control

• Elections for 84 seats across 21 wards in Malegaon Municipal Corporation are approaching after nearly three years of administrative rule.
• Malegaon Municipal Corporation operates with an annual budget of approximately 1100 crore rupees, making it a significant urban body in North Maharashtra.
• The city, known for its handloom and textile industries, became a Municipal Corporation on December 17, 2001.
• In the 2017 elections, Congress emerged as the largest party with 28 seats, followed by NCP (26), Shiv Sena (13), BJP (9), and AIMIM (7).
• The upcoming election features a multi-party contest, with the 'Malegaon Secular Front' (Islamic Party, Samajwadi Party, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi) contesting all 84 seats.

Why It Matters: Malegaon's crucial municipal elections pit traditional parties against MIM and a new secular front.