Syed Iqbal Elected Parbhani Mayor with Congress Backing
Reported by Anam Siddiqui
Parbhani, Maharashtra — In a closely watched civic poll development, Syed Iqbal Syed Khwaja of the Shiv Sena (UBT) was elected Mayor of Parbhani Municipal Corporation on Thursday, securing the post with crucial support from the Indian National Congress in a contest that highlighted shifting political dynamics in central Maharashtra.
Iqbal, a first-time corporator, defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) candidate Tirumala Khilare by 13 votes in a vote among members of the 65-member Parbhani Municipal Corporation. He received 39 votes compared with Khilare’s 26, comfortably surpassing the majority mark.
The election followed the municipal elections held earlier this year, where Shiv Sena (UBT) emerged as the single largest party with 25 seats, while Congress and BJP each won 12 seats and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) secured 11. With the support of Congress corporators, the Sena (UBT) was able to form a majority coalition totaling 37 votes.
Congress’s Role and Reactions
While recent political tensions had surfaced nationally and within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance — particularly in nearby Chandrapur, where Sena (UBT) supported the BJP candidate — the Congress chose to back Iqbal’s mayoral bid in Parbhani. Party leaders described this support as a demonstration of alliance discipline and an effort to prevent the BJP from gaining power in the civic body.
Political Responses
The BJP criticised the Sena (UBT) decision to field a Muslim candidate, with state spokesperson Navnath Ban accusing party leaders of sidelining “Marathi manoos” interests — an allegation that has underscored ongoing cultural and ideological debates in Maharashtra politics.
Supporters of Iqbal’s election say his victory reflects Parbhani’s diverse demographic makeup — nearly 40 % of the city’s population is Muslim — and a broader move by coalition partners to be more inclusive in leadership roles.
With this result, Parbhani becomes the only municipal corporation in Maharashtra where the Uddhav Thackeray–led Shiv Sena (UBT) holds the mayor’s office — marking a symbolic and substantive milestone for the party within the state’s complex political landscape
