By Abdul Hameed, TwoCircles.net
Mumbai: Momin Conference (MC) of Uttar Pradesh is going to contest the forthcoming Maharashtra assembly polls. In Maharashtra, where there are already UDF, Ulama Council and some other so-called secular parties in the fray, it will be a test for Muslims to choose one of them while casting their votes.
The general secretary of MC Dr Abdur Rashid Ansari told TCN that the party is registered with the Election Commission of India since 2000 and it has right to contest elections all over India.
‘We have been contesting Nagar Punchayat, assembly and also Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh. Muhammad Arshad of MC won in Nagar Punchayat election from Partapgarh town area. In UP assembly elections 2002 and 2007 we fielded about eight candidates in Pratapgarh, Bhadohi, Phulpur, Allahabad and Gadhwada constituencies etc.- but unfortunately none of them could register win. In the 15th general elections too we fielded our candidates in Prtapgarh and Aligarh but due to some errors none of them could succeed.’ told Dr Rashid Ansari.
He said that the party cadres want to nationalize MC. ‘Since the assembly elections are going to take place in Maharashtra we will contest assembly elections in the state,’ said Ansari adding ‘in the coming days we will take part in the assembly elections of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh etc.’
Being asked whether he is sure that MC will not divide Muslim votes in the state where UDF and Ulama Council too are going to venture in assembly elections, Ansari told TCN, ‘We will try to field the minimum number of candidates, 6-7, in the Muslim majority areas- Malegaon, Bhiwandi, Aurangabad and Mumbai etc. – and if needed we will come into alliance with the secular parties,’ adding ‘a party led by Muslim will be our preference.’
The foundation stone of Momin Conference was laid in 1921 by Maulana Abdul Qayyum and Asim Bihari. Ansari told that in an election before 1947 seven candidates of the party had emerged triumphant. But after independence it detached itself from politics as did some other Muslim organizations.
‘Due to the hypocritical attitude of the so-called secular parties towards Muslims when we realized that a respectful life was impossible for us without a strong political platform we got the party registered with the election commission in 2000 and since then we have been active in politics,’ said Abdur Rashid Ansari.
He added that the party will focus on the issues of Muslim and the dehumanized sections from other communities and will seek to make its vote bank in them.