By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Varanasi: Muslims in many parts of Uttar Pradesh feel dejected, neglected by BSP government led by chief minister Mayawati, and this is giving an edge to its arch rival Samajwadi Party, and in some seats to small parties like Peace Party and newly formed Qaumi Ekta Dal. Things are similar in Varanasi too.
“Muslims are angry with Mayawati here also. They think they have got nothing from this government in last five years,” says Advocate Jahangir Alam.
“As an alternate to BSP, Muslims are looking towards SP. Last time they were angry with SP because of Kalyan Singh and marginalization of Muslim leaders within the party,” adds Adv. Alam who is also executive member of Babri Masjid Action Committee. He says promise of 18% reservation to Muslims is pulling the community towards the party.
“Reservation in the manifesto is also attracting the Muslims. The party has promised 18% Muslim quota. Because Muslims feel cheated by Congress over this issue as the party has given only 4.5% and that too for all minorities within OBC. Muslims were happy with the recommendation so Sachar and Mishra commissions recommendations –which were set up by Congress — and they hoped the party would do and that’s why the party won 21 seats in Lok Sabha elections in 2009. It won most of the seats from Muslims areas, but the party did nothing, and so this time Muslims are not much happy with the party,” Adv. Alam says.
On winning prospects of Muslim candidates, he says: “Samajwadi Party this time has fielded three Muslim candidates –Varanasi North, Varanasi South and Varanasi Cantt. – two are likely to win due to no polarization and communalization. Since Independence perhaps, Varanasi North seat has been won by a Muslim candidate most of the time. But after the recent delimitation, the vote share of Muslims may go down a bit. Here main fight is between SP and BJP.”
He further says that competition among other parties is also at high particularly because the atmosphere is not communalized this time as BJP could not do it. And this is also one of the reasons why there is high voter turnout this time.
Mohd Zaid Ahmed Siddiqi, a journalist whose stories are published with the byline of Aman in Hindi daily Rashtriya Sahara, agrees there is resentment among Muslims against Mayawati.
“Yes, Muslims here also are against Mayawati. For Muslims’ perspective, Haj House was a big issue in Varanasi. In last assembly election in 2007 she had promised to construct a Haj House here. Since 2007 when direct flight from Kashi to Kaaba was started, the operation has been conducted from a temporary Haj House. But Mayawati did not keep her promise and didn’t construct a Haj House even though flights for 17 districts of UP are operated from here. Other issue is electricity dues of weavers. No govt has paid attention to it. SP is emerging as an alternate to BSP,” says Aman.
About Muslim candidates, he says: “Except Varanasi North, Muslim candidates have never won any seat in Varanasi since Independence. In 16 assembly elections in Varanasi since Independence, Muslim candidate has won Varanasi North 10 times. On six occasions their votes got divided.” Sitting MLA of Varanasi North is Haji Abdul Samad Ansari of SP.
“This time after delimitation, many parts of Varanasi North have been attached to Varanasi South seat. This has affected the vote ratio of Muslims. This time there is triangular fight in Varanasi North – Congress, BJP, SP. Due to many Muslim candidates, BJP has an edge,” says Aman.
Varanasi is going to poll on Wednesday (15th Feb.) in the 3rd Phase of UP elections.
Varanasi North has a total of 3 lakh voters, out of which 70 thousand are Muslims. There are 8 seats in Varanasi, of them three –Varanasi North, Varanasi South and Varanasi Cantt. — fall in city area, where Muslims are in good number. This time Varanasi North has 28 candidates, Varanasi South 12 and Varanasi Cantt. has 24 candidates.
Varanasi North
Candidates—————————–Party
ABDUL SAMAD————————-Samajwadi Party
RAVINDRA JAISWAL—————–Bharatiya Janata Party
RABIYA KALAM————————Indian National Congress
VINAY KUMAR DUBEY————–Nationalist Congress Party
SUJIT KUMAR MAURYA————-Bahujan Samaj Party
NAWAB ACHCHHE MIRZA ALIAS JABBU HASAN—-Lokpriya Samaj Party
ANWARUL HUQ WARSI————–Rashtriya Krantikari Samajwadi Party
ARUN KESHARI————————-Rashtriya lokmanch
MOHD. IKRAM————————–Rashtriya Ulama Council
ISRAR ALI——————————–Pragatisheel Manav Samaj Party
NARENDRA NATH DUBEY ADIG ADVOCATE——–Lok Dal
DR. MANJULATA TRIPATHI———Sarwajan Mahasabha
RAVIKANT SINGH ALIAS RAVI—-Quami Ekta Dal
RAMRATAN DEVI———————–Janata Dal (United)
S.P. SRIVASTAVA———————–All India Trinamool Congress
HARISHCHANDRA SRIVASTAVA—-Indian Justice Party
DR. GYANENDRA PRATAP SINGH D.D.———–Peace Party
ANITA SRIVASTAVA——————————Independent
ARVIND CHATTAN————————–Independent
ANAND VIJAY SINGH———————-Independent
UDAI PRATAP VERMA———————Independent
K.K. UPADHAYAY—————————Independent
OM PRAKASH SINGH ALIAS O.P. SINGH—–Independent
JAI PRAKASH GUPTA———————–Independent
DINESH UPADHAYAY———————Independent
PRAMOD KUMAR SINGH—————-Independent
RAJENDRA PRASAD SONKAR ALIAS KAVI JI——-Independent
SUBHASH RAJBHAR————————-Independent
Varanasi South
Candidates—————————–Party
MD. ISTAQBAL “BABU”————–Samajwadi Party
KAISAR AMEEN ANSARI————Bahujan Samaj Party
DR. DAYASHANKAR MISHRA “DAYALU”——-Indian National Congress
COMRED NIJAMUDDIN————-Communist Party of India
SHYAMDEV ROY CHAUDHARI (DADA) —–Bharatiya Janata Party
ATAHAR JAMAL LARI———————–Quami Ekta Dal
KUMAR SAURABH—————————Pragatisheel Manav Samaj Party
DINANATH DEV VANSHI——————Manavadhikar Janshakti Party
NIYAJ ALI MANJU—————————-Rashtriya lokmanch
HAJI MARGUB AHAMAD——————Rashtriya Ulama Council
VINOD KUMAR SETH————————Independent
SABIR———————————————Independent
Varanasi Cantt.
Candidates—————————–Party
ANIL SRIVASTWA———————Indian National Congress
ASHFAQ AHMAD ALIAS DABLU—–Samajwadi Party
CHANDRA KUMAR MISHRA ALIAS GUDDU MAHARAJ—Bahujan Samaj Party
JYOTSANA SRIVASTAVA———————-Bharatiya Janata Party
ANIL KUMAR PANDEY————————-Rashtriya Samanta Dal
AFLATOON—————————————–Samajwadi Jan Parishad
ARDHENDU SHEKHAR TIWARI————-Lok Jan Shakti Party
RANJIT UPADHYAY—————————–Sarwajan Mahasabha
RAVI SINGH—————————————Jharkhand Mukti Morcha
RAM CHANDAR YADAV———————-Dalit Samaj Party
ROHIT YADAV———————————–Rashtriya lokmanch
LALJEE CHAKRAWAL————————Lokpriya Samaj Party
VIKASH——————————————-Apna Dal
VINOD KUMAR——————————–Jan Kranti Party(Rashtrawadi)
SHAMBHU NATH BATUL——————All India Trinamool Congress
SHIV KUMAR———————————-Pragatisheel Manav Samaj Party
SADABRIJ—————————————Shoshit Samaj Dal
MOHD. SALEEM——————————-Quami Ekta Dal
SEEMA——————————————-Bahujan Shakti
ADITYA KUMAR—————————–Independent
PARVEZ QUADIR KHAN——————Independent
MOHAMMAD JAVED———————-Independent
RAMAKANT TRIPATHI——————-Independent
SATYA PRAKASH SRIVASTAVA—–Independent