All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has suffered a major political setback in Khargone Municipal Corporation of Madhya Pradesh. The party’s only Hindu woman councilor Aruna Upadhyay resigned from the party and the state core committee by sending a letter to the national office of AIMIM in Hyderabad on July 14, 2025.
Reason for resignation
Aruna Upadhyay has cited family and personal reasons in her resignation. Talking to the media, she said that she will no longer join any political party and will serve the public as an independent councilor. She also told that her husband Shyamlal Upadhyay had made serious allegations against her like pressuring people to convert and motivating them to adopt Muslim religion.
Aruna alleged that for the last two years her husband was mentally harassing her and pressuring her to resign from the post of councilor. She clarified that she has been elected with the trust of the public and it is not acceptable to her to resign from her post only due to family pressure.
Won the election in 2022
Aruna Upadhyay won the 2022 municipal elections from Ward No. 2 in Khargone on an AIMIM ticket. This ward is an area with about 70% Muslim population, and her victory made a lot of headlines at that time.
Complete separation from the party
Aruna has not only quit the party membership, but has also distanced herself from the state core committee of AIMIM. She said that now she does not want to be under any political pressure and will work independently giving priority to public issues.
Political loss for AIMIM
Aruna Upadhyay’s resignation is considered a major setback for AIMIM politically, especially at a time when the party was trying to strengthen its hold in Madhya Pradesh. The separation of faces like Aruna from the party at the local level may force AIMIM to reconsider its strategy.
This incident is not only a story of personal struggle but also shows how family and social pressures in politics can influence the decisions of a public representative.