Asaduddin Owaisi says those who faced defeat in Maharashtra civic polls should introspect

Expressing gratitude to the voters of Maharashtra for electing 125 of his party's candidates as corporators across various municipal corporations in the state, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday suggested that those who faced defeat should engage in deep introspection.

During a press conference in Hyderabad, Owaisi revealed that the AIMIM is now preparing for upcoming municipal elections in Telangana, noting that the leadership has already invited names from potential candidates.

“Now those parties who abuse us (as BJP's B team) should think of themselves. It is the decision of the people. There is an English saying that victory has many fathers, defeat has none. Why did we (they) lose? Those great people will have to say. As far as the voters' list is concerned, it is correct,” he replied to a query.

When asked about the Thackeray cousins reconciling, the Hyderabad MP pointed out that the election results speak for themselves, highlighting that Uddhav Thackeray’s candidate emerged victorious in the specific area where Chief Minister Eknath Shinde resides.

“Our party has won. I am happy. I do not know about others,” he said.

Owaisi also voiced his firm belief that the newly elected corporators would remain loyal to the party’s mandate, though he confirmed that AIMIM is implementing necessary safeguards to prevent any potential poaching.

Addressing the persistent "B team" allegations regarding the BJP, Owaisi dismissed the claims by stating he has no remedy for such baseless accusations.

The saffron party claimed 89 seats within the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), terminating the Thackeray family's thirty-year control over the country's wealthiest civic organization.

Its partner, Shiv Sena, secured 29 seats, whereas the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) finished with 65, and the MNS obtained 6 seats. The Congress party, contesting alongside the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), took 24 seats, followed by AIMIM with 8, the NCP with 3, the Samajwadi Party with 2, and the NCP (SP) gaining only one seat in the BMC.

The BJP further established itself as the leading party in Navi Mumbai by winning 65 seats, Kalyan-Dombivli (50), Mira-Bhayandar (78), Nashik (72), Panvel (55), Pune (119), Pimpri-Chinchwad (84), Solapur (87), Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (57), Nanded (45) and Nagpur (102).