Will work towards harmony: SC female AIMIM councillor from Khargone

Khargone: A Hindu woman from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, who has won the post of councillor in Khargone town of Madhya Pradesh on the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen’s (AIMIM) ticket, on Thursday said promoting communal harmony was her priority.

The winning candidate, Aruna Shyam Upadhyay (36), said that although she was pained by the communal riots that had broken out in Khargone earlier this year, her win has now made her happy as it was the “victory of brotherhood and ‘insaniyat’ (humanity)”.

Khargone town had witnessed communal riots on April 10 this year following clashes between groups during a procession taken out on the occasion of Ram Navami.

The Hyderabad-based AIMIM led by Asaduddin Owaisi is known to raise issues related to minority communities.

The party contested seven seats, out of the total 33 of the Khargone Municipal Council, and won three of them. Upadhyay had contested the recent local body elections from ward number two, reserved for the women candidates from the SC community. The results of the election were announced on Wednesday.

“It is a victory of brotherhood and humanity. I did not contest the elections on religious lines, but for insaniyat and I will work for insaniyat only,” said Upadhyay, who studied till Class 12.

Promoting communal harmony was her priority, she said.

“I was immensely pained by the communal riots that broke out in Khargone on April 10, and therefore, I have now decided to work for promoting harmony among people,” she added.

She said she contested the election on AIMIM’s ticket after getting influenced by the AIMIM chief Owaisi’s views as he talked about the country’s Constitution and equality.

“He talks about Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and the Constitution and I also belong to the Dalit community…Now, social service and development of my ward will be my priority. My husband encouraged me to contest the polls so that I can serve the needy and get them the benefit of several basic as well as various government schemes,” she said.

Upadhyay, who received 643 votes, defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Sunita Gangele by a thin margin of 31 votes as the latter got 612 votes.

In the 33-member local body, BJP won 18 seats, Independent candidates eight, Congress four and AIMIM three.