The former MLA said his I.S.L.A.M party firmly stands for secularism, inculcates secular ethos in its cadre and instills in them secular values. He claims this was evident in the fact that a Dalit and a Maratha have been elected to the MMC on the I.S.L.A.M party ticket
A whopping 13 crore electors have been deleted in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive across the country and a startling 70% of them are Muslims, claimed Asif Shaikh Rasheed, former MLA and Founder of the I.S.L.A.M (Indian Secular Largest Assembly of Maharashtra) party. Yesterday, Shaikh was speaking at an event convened to mark the second anniversary of the newly-floated I.S.L.A.M party.
Shaikh heavily criticized the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar for the latter’s handling of the ongoing SIR exercise in a high-handedness manner. He held Kumar responsible for deletion of electors from voters lists in record numbers which by all standards was unprecedented in India’s electoral history. Shaikh went on to allege the CEC was taking arbitrary decisions and directions from PM Narendra Modi-led Central Government.
He informed that before the SIR exercise kicked in there were 3,18,000 electors in the 114-Malegaon Central Assembly Constituency. After the publication of the draft voters list on September 30, the number nosedived to 2,47,000. Besides, 43,000 voters have been flagged for different discrepancies and anomalies.
It is likely that these 43,000 voters who have been slapped with the SIR notices may lose their right to vote if they fail to make proper representation before the authorities concerned and furnish requisite documents on time. As a result, their names may not be included in the final voters lists. This may land these electors in troubles, Asif Shaikh Rasheed, former MLA and Founder of the I.S.L.A.M party
Launched in October 2024, the I.S.L.A.M party hoisted its flag on the Malegaon Municipal Corporation (MMC) after the urban civic body went to polls in November 2025 after a hiatus of almost six long years. Back then, the I.S.L.A.M party had won 35 of the total 87 seats. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) of Asaduddin Owaisi won 21 seats. Incumbent MLA Mufti Mohd Ismail Qasmi leads the AIMIM in Malegaon.
The Shiv Sena led by Dada Bhuse, Maharashtra Minister and confidante of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, had won 18 seats and the BJP had to make do with just two seats. The Samajwadi Party had won four seats while the Indian National Congress (INC), back then led by Ejaz Baig, won 3 seats. The politically-charged MMC elections did not give a clear majority to any political party.
As a result, the I.S.L.A.M, the Samajwadi Party, and the INC formed an unusual post-poll alliance. Consequently, the I.S.L.A.M party’s Nasreen Khalid Shaikh was elected the Mayor and Shan e Hind of the SP was elected the Deputy Mayor. Ejaz Baig of the INC was made the Standing Committee Chairman.
Recently, the Nashik Rural Police led by Dr D S Swami provided a uniformed round-the-clock security to Shaikh after assessing threat perceptions. The former MLA said it was not like that the security was provided to him without any strong reason.
“The threat to my life is real, it does exist. And that’s why the security has been provided to me. If any untoward incident occurs to me then don’t stop the mission of the I.S.L.A.M party. Also take care of my family in my absence,” he told the crowd. Shaikh informed the crowd that he was willing to fight the Lok Sabha elections from the Dhule-Malegaon Parliamentary Constituency.
