By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Patna: The image makeover exercise is on. After Bihar it’s Assam. This is perhaps first time when Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Muslim candidates for Assam Assembly poll. BJP has released its list of 117 candidates for the 126-seat Assam Assembly. Of 117, there are five Muslim names.
In the Bihar Assembly poll 2010, BJP had fielded one Muslim candidate, and he won. Encouraged but still worried about its Anti-Muslim image, the party has now decided to give more tickets to Muslims, and so it has fielded five candidates from the community in Assam that is going to vote for new assembly in two weeks.
Aware of the fact that there is intense race among Congress, All India United Democratic Front and Asom Gana Parishad for Muslim votes that roughly constitute 30% of the total, the Hindu rightist party is eyeing the split in minority votes, and it is most likely to happen particularly after an apparent move to alienate Ajmal by sacking him form state presidentship of Jamiat Ulama (Arshad Madani faction). Ajmal has since joined the faction led by Mahmood Madani.
However, a social activist based in Assam doesn’t think the move of the BJP will give it much dividend. “The Congress, AIUDF and even AGP have good hold on minority votes. So I don’t think fielding Muslim candidates will play any major role for BJP,” said Tasaduk Arif Husain, Executive Director, North East Social Trust, while talking to TCN from Guwahati.
Asked if he sees the move of the BJP as its image makeover exercise, he said he does not think so. “Even AIUDF, which said to be a party of Muslims, has fielded many non-Muslims as its candidates. So I think it’s normal political process.”
However, in the overall national perspective, the decision of the BJP to field five Muslim candidates in Assam will be seen part of the party mission to win Muslim hearts to return to power at Centre. Very recently, Gujarat BJP had fielded many Muslims in local body elections, and many of them had won.
Muslim candidates of BJP
|
Sl. No. |
Constituency |
Candidates |
|
1. |
Jaleswar |
Mohd. Sofiqul Hussain |
|
2. |
Baghbar |
Mohd. Abdul Salam Ahmed |
|
3. |
Jamunamukh |
Mohd. Nazmul Alam Laskar |
|
4. |
Nazira |
Mohd. Syed Abdul Rakim |
|
5. |
Sootea |
Mintu Khan |
The split in minority vote is imminent as Congress and other parties have also fielded Muslim candidates on those seats where BJP has fielded Muslim candidates. For example, in Jaleswar, Baghbar and Jamunamukh, both BJP and Congress have Muslim candidates.
In total, Congress has fielded 27 Muslim candidates, AGP 18 and BJP 5. AIUDF has so far released the list of 73 candidates, of which 51 are Muslims.
In the present 126-seated state Assembly, there are 25 Muslim MLAs. Of them 10 are from Congress, 7 from AIUDF, 3 from AGP, 1 from Loko Sanmilan and 4 are Independents.