AIMIM's registration restored; Asaduddin Owaisi's party can now contest Mumbai civic polls

Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM is gearing up to contest the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections due early next year.

Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Election Commission on Monday restored registration of the Hyderabad-based All India Majlise-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), clearing its way to contest the civic polls in the state, including the Mumbai Municipal Corporation, on its symbol and name.

The Commission, which conducts local body polls, also restored the registration of five other parties, which were de-registered along with several other local outfits last month for their failure to provide details of income tax returns and audited accounts.

The decision to restore the registration of Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM has come when the party is gearing up to contest the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections due in 2017.

The party has been re-registered after completing necessary formalities, a SEC official told PTI.

Notably, the AIMIM has made inroads into Maharashtra and bagged two seats in the Assembly polls in 2014.

Imtiaz Jaleel, the AIMIM leader in the Maharashtra Assembly, said the party had appealed against its cancellation.

Announcing the de-registration of 191 political parties, most of them local outfits, Maharashtra State Election Commissioner JS Saharia had last month said the action was taken as they had failed to provide their income details and annual Income Tax returns and audit reports, as required under the law.

(With PTI inputs)