LS elections: Muslims vs Muslims in Bihar – BJP is smiling

By Manzar Bilal, TwoCircles.net,

Is the BJP alliance this time going to win all Muslim-dominated Lok Sabha seats as well as those where Muslims though not dominant have been elected consecutively in Bihar? The possibility has been strengthened by none other than secular parties – particularly the UPA partners who are involved in infighting.


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In the second and third phase of Lok Sabha elections, fate of the Muslim-dominated and their winning seats in the state will be determined. Therefore, all political parties have set their eyes on the Muslims votes and the battle among RJD-LJP alliance, Congress and JD-U, the ‘secular’ partner of BJP alliance, for the Muslims votes has got intensified.

Bihar has biggest number of Muslims in the country after UP and West Bengal. Muslim votes have been playing key role in several constituencies with some of them virtually earmarked for Muslims due to their high percentage in population. But Muslims have been lagging behind both in terms of their winning percentage and the number of seats allotted to them by different parties.

Since Independence up to 14 Lok Sabha elections, Bihar has sent only 51 members from the Muslim community to the Parliament. The maximum number of Muslim MPs from Bihar was six in 1984 and 1991.

It was a good move that around this elections Muslim bodies across the country have been more active about their problems than ever. Therefore, when the dates of elections were announced, Muslim leaders put their demands before the political parties. Their demands included more representation in Lok Sabha elections, provision for Muslim reservation and implementation of the recommendations made by the Sachar Committee and Ranganath Mishra Commission. In Bihar also, apex Muslim organizations released a combined statement and repeated the demands.

But unfortunately not a single party has given the community their due share in LS seats according to their population which is 16.53% according to the Census 2001. This exposed the real faces of those leaders who have been claiming to be well-wishers of Muslims.

Worse, the LS constituencies where Muslim candidates were certain to win if Congress, RJD and LJP fielded their unanimous candidate, but both Congress and RJD-LJP alliance have put their separate Muslim candidates. This will lead to split in Muslim votes.

Muslims constitute 67.58% of the population in Kishanganj which has been represented four times by sitting RJD MP Muhammad Taslimuddin. But this time Maulana Asrar ul Haq is also in the fray on Congress ticket. Both leaders are familiar in the area; therefore Muslims are confused about whom to vote for. Besides, Zubair Alam has been fielded by Bahujan Samaj Party. The situation can give an edge to Syed Mahmood Ashraf of ruling Janata Dal (United) if he succeeds getting majority of Hindu votes. The insincerity on the part of the Muslim community is evident from the fact that of 15 candidates for the seat, 10 are Muslims.

In Katihar, Muslims are around 42.53 percent where Nationalist Congress Party has fielded its senior leader Mr. Tarique Anwar and LJP has given ticket to renowned face of the region Mr. Ahmad Ashfaq Kareem. Kareem is known for Katihar Medical College. The division of the Muslim votes will definitely benefit sitting BJP MP Mr. Nikhil Kumar Chaudhry. There are 16 candidates in the fray for the seat. Four of them are Muslims.

Araria has 41.14 percent Muslims where LJP candidate Zakir Hussain Khan is taking on Congress candidate Dr Shakeel Ahmad Khan. This will directly help BJP candidate Pradeep Kumar Singh. In all there are 25 candidates in the fray. Of them eight are Muslims.

Madhubani though with 17.94 Muslim population has more than one sent Muslim candidates to Lok Sabha. The sitting Congress MP Dr. Shakeel Ahmad and state president of RJD Abdul Bari Siddiquee are busy to attract Muslim votes. As both leaders have familiar personalities in politics Muslims are dividing into two groups and every group claims to be in strong position but this is a clear fact that the situation brought Hukumdeo Narayan Singh of BJP in the race. Now triangular contest will be seen while earlier Hukumdeo was nowhere in the scene because of his non interest of development work in the constituency. There are three Muslim candidates among 14 in total.

Situation is almost same in Darbhanga. While Muslims constitute 22.73% of the population, the district has sent Muhammad Ali Ashraf Fatmi of RJD to the Lok Sabha. This time Congress has fielded its own candidate Ajay Kumar Jalan. This has brightened hope of Kirti Azad of BJP. Azad has fought several LS elections from here. Of 14 candidates in the fray for the seat, four are Muslims.

This situation has worried common Muslims. The question is: who is responsible for that? After having a glance on political scenario from the beginning the answer one gets is: it is the result of selfishness of Congress, RJD and LJP leaders.

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