By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
Ahmedabad: Local Muslim leaders have demanded at least 14 tickets from the Congress in the Gujarat Assembly elections.
Gujarat Congress vice-president J. V. Momin was reported by PTI as having put forward a demand that at least 14 constituencies should have Muslim candidates from the Congress. “We had put forward a demand before the party leadership that tickets should be given to Muslim candidates in at least 14 constituencies where the population of the community is more than 35 per cent,” said Mr. Momin.
14 constituencies where Muslims are more than 35% of the population include Kalupur, Shahpur, Jamalpur, Balasinor, Siddhpur, Mangrole, Bhuj, Abdasa and Vankaner. Total Muslim population in Gujarat is about 14 percent.
Gujarat is scheduled to have elections for a new Assembly on December 11th and 16th.
There are only 3 Muslims in the current 182-member Assembly, all belonging to the Congress. Mohammad Faruk Hussain Miyan Shaikh of Kalupur (Ahmedabad) and Rashida Iqbal Patel of Vagra (Bharuch), Devadiwala Usmangani Ismailbhai of Jamalpur. The Congres put up two more candidates, Rayma Haji Juma Haji Ebrahim of Abdasa and Peerzada Mahmad Javid Abdul Mutleeb of Wankaner lost their elections in 2002.
BJP did not field any Muslim candidate in 2002 elections.