MUMBAI: Encouraged by its stunning victory in two assembly seats, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is planning to expand the party base in the state.

The MIM, as the party is popularly known, has decided to contest all municipal elections in the state, including the BMC election in 2017 and the Aurangabad municipal election next year.

It already has 13 corporators in the Nanded-Waghala Municipal Corporation. Till recently critics said the Hyderabad-based party succeeded in Nanded because it falls in a region that was once under the Nizam.

Then in the assembly polls, advocate Waris Pathan won in Byculla and former journalist Imtiaz Jaleel in Aurangabad Central.

“Our priority is to strengthen the organization and we have already started the membership drive,” Pathan said. “The response in the assembly polls has proved that there is a space for a political party like MIM as it can become an alternative to the so-called secular Congress and NCP.”

Many dalits fielded by MIM also performed well — Avinash Gopichand polled 25,741 votes in Kurla and came third while Vishnupant Gavande got 12,358 votes in Solapur North and was placed fourth — and now the party plans a stronger Muslim-Dalit alliance.

“We will give adequate representation to dalits in all future elections in the state. Many non-Muslims have started approaching us in Aurangabad as the municipal elections here are just six months away and we will try to broaden MIM’s appeal,” Jaleel said.

MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, who is the lone MP from the party, has stressed the need to create a Meem-Bhim coalition.

