In the bustling Mominpura locality of Nagpur, a modest one-room office of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) stands with its doors open all day, often unattended. Party leaders, however, remain just a phone call away. This quiet presence belies a determined effort by a party once influential in the city's civic body, now striving for a political revival after a long electoral drought.
A Legacy and a Long Road Back
Once a notable player in Nagpur's political landscape, the IUML's influence has waned amidst shifting minority vote dynamics. The party's peak saw it secure the deputy mayor's position in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). However, its fortunes declined sharply. The IUML failed to win a single seat in the last NMC polls held in 2017.
Undaunted, the party is pinning its hopes on a fresh start in the current election cycle. It has fielded a total of six candidates across the city. A significant focus is on Prabhag 6, covering the Teka area in north Nagpur, where four of its nominees are contesting.
Education as the Central Plank
The party's primary campaign strategy revolves around its past contributions to local education. IUML activists were instrumental in a landmark initiative that led to the opening of the first English-medium school run by a municipality in Nagpur back in 2007.
"The school, named after our veteran leader GM Banatwala, is located near Teka. Banatwala served as an MLA in Maharashtra and was later a seven-time MP from Kerala," explained the party's vice-president, Murtuza Khan. He detailed the inspiration behind the project: "Taking a cue from Kerala, our party suggested to the NMC commissioner that the corporation could start an English-medium school. It worked, and today it has 1,700 students." The IUML believes this successful legacy could resonate with voters seeking quality civic amenities.
Candidates and Historical Context
In its former stronghold of Mominpura, designated as Prabhag 8, the party has put forward a single candidate, Mohammed Saleem. Interestingly, Saleem is a former BJP member who is now contesting from an open category seat. He is relying on his family's political legacy, being the grandson of the late Abdul Majeed, a well-known local leader.
The IUML's history in the NMC hearkens back to the period following the Emergency. A third front, comprising a grand alliance of Independents and smaller parties, came to power. The veteran socialist leader and academician, the late Atal Bahadur Singh, became mayor. The IUML, which then held five seats, saw its member Abbas Ali appointed as the deputy mayor. The party managed to win two seats in the 2007 civic elections but has drawn a blank in every poll since.
As the party campaigns from its humble, often-unmanned office, the question remains whether its educational legacy and renewed outreach can translate into votes, ending a 15-year dry spell in Nagpur's civic politics.
