"Governments should keep changing to maintain strength of democracy," says AIMIM MP Jaleel

Aurangabad (Maharashtra) [India], May 13 (ANI): All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP and party's candidate from Aurangabad Lok Sabha constituency, Imtiaz Jaleel, said on Monday that to maintain the strength of democracy, the governments should keep changing.
Speaking with reporters after casting his vote in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections, Imtiaz Jaleel also emphasized the importance of opposition in determining the strength of democracy. He said, "If the strength of democracy is to be maintained, governments should keep changing."
"One of the biggest strengths of democracy is having a strong opposition. If the same government assumes power again and again, then it takes the people for granted," the AIMIM MP added.
Aurangabad, also known as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, witnessed the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections on Monday, with the battle among Shiv Sena candidate Sandipan Bhumre, Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Chandrakant Khaire, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Sushil Kumar Singh, and AIMIM's Imtiaz Jaleel.
In the 2019 General Assembly Elections, Aurangabad parliamentary constituency recorded a 63.41 per cent voter turnout. AIMIM candidate Imtiaz Jaleel Syed registered victory by securing 3,89,042 votes, defeating Chandrakant Khaire with a margin of 4,492 votes. Notably, Chandrakant Khaire managed to secure 3,89,042 votes.
The Aurangabad Lok Sabha constituency, one of the 48 constituencies of Maharashtra, encompasses six legislative assembly seats namely Kannad, Aurangabad Central, Aurangabad West (SC), Aurangabad East, Gangapur, and Vaijapur.
The Aurangabad seat has been a stronghold of Shiv Sena. The 2019 Lok Sabha elections marked a significant change in the political landscape with the victory of AIMIM's Imtiaz Jaleel Syed against much more influential Shiv Sena leader Chandrakant Khaire.
Voting for the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections in 96 Parliamentary Constituencies across nine states and one Union Territory began on Monday at 7:00 am.
Polling for all 175 seats of the State Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh and 28 seats of the State Legislative Assembly of Odisha also started simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls.
Of the 96 Lok Sabha seats, 25 are from Andhra Pradesh, 17 from Telangana, 13 from Uttar Pradesh, 11 from Maharashtra, eight each from Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, five from Bihar, four each from Jharkhand and Odisha, and one from Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the poll body, a total of 4,264 nominations were filed for 96 parliamentary constituencies.
The fourth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha polls is witnessing key contests in various constituencies. Leaders such as AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, TMC leader Mahua Moitra, BJP leader Giriraj Singh, JDU's Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh), TMC leaders Shatrughan Sinha and Yusuf Pathan.
BJP leaders Arjun Munda and Madhavi Latha, and Andhra Pradesh Congress Chief YS Sharmila are also looking for electoral success.
So far, till phase 3 of the Lok Sabha polls, polling has concluded smoothly and peacefully in 283 Lok Sabha seats. (ANI)