The Indian Secular Largest Assembly of Maharashtra (abbreviated as ISLAM) is a regional political party based in Malegaon, in the Nashik district of Maharashtra, India. It emerged as a significant political force in the 2026 Malegaon Municipal Corporation elections by becoming the single largest party in the civic body.
The party was founded in October 2024 by Shaikh Aasif, a former Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly representing the Malegaon Central constituency. Shaikh had previously been a member of both the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party before launching this new party for the 2024âÂÂ25 election cycle.
The party's full name â Indian Secular Largest Assembly of Maharashtra â reflects its stated emphasis on secular principles and broad representation.
While the name suggests an emphasis on secularism and inclusion, political commentators note that the party's appeal in its home base of Malegaon is deeply tied to local socio-religious dynamics and identity politics, particularly in a city with a large Muslim population.
In the 15 January 2026 civic polls, the ISLAM party made its electoral debut and became the single largest party in the 84-member Malegaon Municipal Corporation by winning 35 seats out of 84. It ended decades-long dominance of the Congress in the civic body, though it fell short of the 43-seat majority.
The party formed an alliance with the Samajwadi Party, called the Malegaon Secular Front, which together won 40 seats, three short of the majority mark; other parties like AIMIM and Shiv Sena also won significant numbers of seats.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen