By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net,
Lucknow: Four MLAs filed their nominations in the elections for the membership of Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Board of Waqfs (SCBW) on Monday. The list includes Riyaz Ahmed and Imran Masood from Samajwadi Party (SP) and Farhat Hasan and Mujtaba Siddiqui from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Polling for the SCBW elections will be held on Tuesday here in Lucknow.
The polling will be held in SCBW office in Mall Avenue between 10 am-2 pm followed by counting from 3 pm-4 pm. The result will be declared at 5 pm. Election Officer Akhlaque Ahmed informed newsmen that the board comprises 13 members who later elect a chairman among themselves. Elections are held for eight members while five are nominated by the state government. The quota includes two members from Muslim MPs, two from Muslim MLAs, two from state bar council and two caretakers from the waqf properties having income of minimum Rs one lakh per annum. The state government nominates two members each from madarsas/ trusts and Muslim organisations. One Muslim IAS officer is also nominated in the board.
Similarly in the Shia Waqf Board also going to polls on Tuesday Samajwadi Party (SP) has nominated its legislators Abbas Ali Zaidi and Shadab Fatima. Both are expected to be elected from MLA quota unopposed as BSP does not have any Shia Muslim MLA.
The waqf boards are responsible for managing lands and properties registered with them belonging to various dargahs, institutions and even individuals. Of late, the boards have assumed significance with spirralling land prices with every political party eyeing the posts.
Besides their increasing importance these waqf boards also had their share of controversies. The outgoing Chairman of Sunni Central Board of Waqfs (SCBW) Hafiz Mohd Usman who is also a former president of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) students’ union created ripples when he announced that Taj Mahal in Agra built by Mugal emperor Shahjahan is a waqf property and should be handed over to the board. The board was, however, later denied claim over Taj Mahal. The Shia waqf board too had its share of controversies after the appointment of Waseem Rizvi as its chairman. Rizvi considered close to Imam-e-Juma, Maulana Kalbe Jawwad has even lodged a police report against noted shia cleric Maulana Ali Naseer Saeed Abaqati aka Agha Roohi on grounds that he misappropriated the funds in a waqf property at Agra as its caretaker. Agha Roohi went on to stage demonstration against him demanding his ouster.