Phase 2: 45 seats, 26 Muslim candidates of major alliances

By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,

Patna: Like the Phase 1, major political alliances/parties have fielded Muslim candidates in good number in the Phase 2 also. There are 45 seats to go to poll in the Phase 2 on October 24. There are 26 Muslim candidates from major alliances/parties: Congress, RJD-LJP and JDU-BJP.

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Interestingly, of 45 seats, 25 have no Muslim candidate. It means the 26 Muslim candidates are clashing in more than one place. However, what is good is that they are clashing in only 5 of 20 seats where they have been fielded by the major alliances/parties.

As for Muslim population in the Phase 2, there are just 4 seats where they are between 30-50%, in 8 seats the percentage is between 20 and 30 and the overwhelming 30 seats have 10-20% Muslim population.

Of the 20 seats where Muslim candidates of major alliances/parties are contesting there are 19 constituencies in which Muslims along with Dalits and Adivasis can cast decisive vote. In these 19 seats the population of these three communities is between 25-45%.

In the outgoing Assembly there are only 3 Muslim MLAs from the region to be covered in the Phase 2. They are Shahid Ali Khan (JDU), Abdul Bari Siddiqi (RJD) and Izhar Alam (LJP). Alam has recently switched side and joined JDU.

In the Phase 1 as many as 47 seats will go to poll on October 21. The three major alliances/parties have fielded 37 Muslim candidates, covering 22 out of 47 seats. For the 243-seat Bihar Assembly, elections are being conducted in 6 phases.

Phase 2: Muslim candidates of major alliances/parties