Meet AIMIM’s Sahar Shaikh who demolished Jitendra Awhad’s Mumbra Fortress
Sahar Shaikh, the youngest Corporator of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), has set media landscape on fire ever since the results of Mumbra-Thane Municipal Corporation Election 2026 were announced
[Sahar Shaikh with her father Yunus Shaikh. (Inset) Yunus Shaikh with Jitendra Awhad in a file image.]
Sahar Shaikh, the youngest Corporator of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), has set media landscape on fire ever since the results of Mumbra-Thane Municipal Corporation Election 2026 were announced.
Hijab wearing Sahar Shaikh is in public life serving all sections of the society since the last 7-8 years. Her father, Yunus Shaikh, was once a close aide of Jitendra Awhad – former minister, 04-time MLA from Mumbra and the NCP (Sharad Pawar) strongman in the area.
Mumbra-Kalwa Assembly Seat in Thane is regarded as Jitendra Awhad’s bastion. Banking on a strong Muslim voter base, Awhad is MLA from here since 2009, and has also served as a minister in the Maharashtra cabinet.
Awhad has been considered as invincible. However, the results of the 2026 Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Elections changed everything. And, he must perhaps be regretting at least one of the decisions he took ahead of the civic elections.
When Awhad’s Mumbra Fortress Collapsed
Mumbra-Kalwa has always sent NCP Corporators to Thane Municipal Corporation. However, this time the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen of Asaduddin Owaisi came on the driving seat winning 6 seats from here. This is up 04 from its 2017 tally of 02.
Among the 06 seats the AIMIM has won from Mumbra, 04 are from Ward No 30. From this ward all AIMIM candidates have won the 2026 Civic Elections. One of them is Sahar Shaikh.
Sahar Shaikh bagged a mammoth 12,964 votes and defeated Rumana Shaikh of NCP (Sharad Pawar) who got 7,665 votes and Siddiqui Farha of NCP (Ajit Pawar) who got 6,057 votes. Others in the fray were Phalke Zeba of Samajwadi Party (SP) and Mushira Bilal Tamboli of the Congress Party.
Who is Sahar Shaikh?
22-year-old Sahar Shaikh is Yunus Shaikh’s daughter. Yunus Shaikh has been working with Jitendra Awhad since the last three decades. Sahar Shaikh too respected Awhad as her mentor.
However, relation between Awhad and Yunus Shaikh turned sour during the 2026 Corporation Elections. Shaikh claimed that Awhad had promised his daughter the party ticket but kept him waiting till the last minute.
On the last day of nomination, Yunus Shaikh realized that Awhad is playing some game with him and he will not get the party ticket.
Sensing the foul-play, Yunus Shaikh approached the Samajwadi Party (SP). It too declined. Nonetheless, the Congress Party and AIMIM offered their ticket. Yunus Shaikh chose to join the AIMIM and rest is history.
The campaigning in Mumbra became a battleground between Yunus Shaikh and Jitendra Awhad with the former and his daughter Sahar openly, and repeatedly, challenging and accusing the latter of betrayal.
After a bitter election campaigning, Sahar Shaikh won from the Mumbra Ward No 30. Along with her 03 other AIMIM candidates from the panel also won. The Mumbra fortress of Awhad has collapsed.
“Kaisa Haraya….”, Sahar Shaikh is seen mocking the Awhad and his supporters in her victory speech.
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She is Sahar Shaikh, AIMIM Corporator from Mumbra, after her Election Victory#Saharshaikh #AIMIM #Mumbra pic.twitter.com/Jev6GXipH1
— ummid.com (@ummid) January 21, 2026
Sahar's father Yunus Shaikh too is poetic while describing the victory of his daughter from Mumbra.
Haathi, ghode, talware, fauj to teri saari thi
Par zanjeer me jakdi shahzadi meri akeli sab pe bhari thi
After the victory, the AIMIM supporters have now set their eyes on the next assembly elections, and have already started projecting Sahar Shaikh - a Commerce Graduate who is fluent in English, Hindi, Marathi and Urdu languages and talks like seasoned politicians, the future MLA of Mumbra-Kalwa Assembly Constituency held by Awhad since 2009.
[Aniqua Sabahat Faizee is Staff Writer at ummid.com]
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