PUNE, 17 June 2007 — Two days after calling off their post-poll alliance with the Congress, after facing stiff opposition and isolated violence from the Muslim community of Malegaon, the clerics-led Indian Muslim Congress Party (IMCP) returned to the Congress on Friday, betraying the promises it made to the Muslim community and the people of the town to break the tie-up with the Congress.
In the mayoral election held on Friday, IMCP candidate Haji Nazimuddin Shaikh Gulshar Khajurwala was elected mayor defeating Janata Dal (Secular) candidate Mohammed Rafique Rahim Qureshi by 37 votes. The IMCP-backed Congress candidate Sakharma Ghodke was elected deputy mayor defeating Janata Dal (Secular) Shan-e- Hind Nihal Ahmed by 38 votes. Shan-E-Hind is the daughter of veteran Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former legislator Nihal Ahmed.
The Shiv Sena, with whom the IMCP had earlier forged an alliance and later snapped the tie-up boycotted the election. The Muslim cleric Maulana Mufti Mohammed Ismail-led IMCP tied up with the Congress after holding a secret meeting with state Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh at his residence in Mumbai last Monday. An angry mob of Muslim protesters had protested against the tie-up with the Congress last Wednesday, stone pelting the venue of IMCP meeting at Apsara Hotel and hoisting black flags at the residence of Maulana Ismail, who later apologized to the protesters and announced the snapping of the tie-up with the Congress on Thursday evening.
"The clerics have betrayed and humiliated the Muslim community, and this insult will not be tolerated," said Imtiaz Momin, a local Muslim leader.
