Parbhani, MAHARASHTRA :

Mumbai:

Parbhani has elected its first Muslim mayor from the Shiv Sena since the party’s formation in the 1960s. Shiv Sena UBT leader Syed Iqbal Syed Khwaja won the mayoral post in the 65 member Parbhani Municipal Corporation. He secured 39 votes, defeating BJP candidate Tirumala Khilare, who received 26. The majority mark stood at 33.

This marks the only municipal corporation where the Uddhav Thackeray led Shiv Sena faction has formed a civic government. The party won 25 seats, emerging as the single largest group. Congress and BJP secured 12 seats each, while the Ajit Pawar led NCP won 11. Together, Shiv Sena UBT and Congress held 37 members in the House.

Parbhani holds political history linked to religious division. In the 1990 Assembly election, the slogan Khan viruddh Ban framed the contest along religious lines. The Shiv Sena then consolidated its base in the region.

Today, the political equation has shifted. Around 42 percent of Parbhani’s population is Muslim. In the recent civic polls, 13 of the 25 elected Shiv Sena UBT corporators were Muslims, including Syed Iqbal.

A first time corporator, Syed Iqbal is a local activist. His brother, Syed Abdul Khadar, has influence in Muslim localities and maintains close ties with party MP Sanjay Jadhav.

After his win, Syed said he would focus on development and serve all communities. BJP leaders criticised the decision, while Congress stated it backed the candidate to keep the BJP out of power and honour alliance commitments.

source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Latest News> Report / by Radiance News Bureau / February 13th, 2026