By TCN News
With an emphatic win of Samajwadi Party (SP) in the cow belt, veteran socialist Mulayam Singh Yadav is sitting pretty making all out efforts for his son to take over.
There is resentment in the party with a camp in favour of Mulayam Singh to take over the rein for the fourth time. However amidst this political upheaval, Muslims are again back to square one. They voted for SP, the blue brigade BSP supremo Mayawati blames them for her defeat, right wing BJP does not have Muslims in its agenda, RLD of Ajit Singh claims that none of them won on their party ticket, Congress is too reduced to make any difference.
Nine-time MLA Azam Khan is a significant force in UP politics.
Nearly 18.5 percent of UP’s populace, Muslims in the state are once again directionless. The mad clamouring for their votes is over. The frenzy has subsided and the sugar coated talks by politicians is part of a bygone era.
During the elections sporadic voices were raised regarding a Muslim chief minister. None of them was taken seriously. The newly floated Peace Party’s chief Dr Ayub announced that UP will have a Muslim chief minister, before the elections. During the elections it became clear that the time is not ripe and it will be in 2017. Becoming a laughing stock, Muslims played second fiddle again during the elections.
The question may sound out of place and the demand may be laughed but still—Can UP ever be ruled by a Muslim Chief Minister? The state has been ruled by Thakur, Brahmin, Kayastha, OBC, Dalit but never by a Muslim.
UP has over 18 percent population of Muslims. The 16th assembly has 68 Muslim MLAs. One of them Azam Khan won by a margin of over 60000 votes. He has entered the assembly ninth time. But he is senior, good orator and considered always-number-two-and never-a-CM-material by his party. Because the party is ruled by a 7 percent yadav community. The CM will be either Mulayam or his son Akhilesh and then someone else from their family. Not Azam Khan.
If Azam was redundant then just take a look at 2009 Lok Sabha elections. SP’s strength was reduced and none of the Muslims won on its party ticket. He is back and the party has 43 muslim MLAs. When with seven MLAs RLD Jayant Chaudhary had made his intentions
clear during election of being CM or Deputy CM, where was SP? Congress too built castles in air by unofficially proposing Beni Prasad Verma, an OBC as CM candidate. Everyone of them wanted Muslim vote but not Muslim leadership
.
It could very well announce Azam as CM material. Mulayam has served three terms. Akhilesh is young but Azam is the senior most and command hold over the subject. In Mulayam’s own words—when I used to leave for tour Azam used to take care of things. He has been parliamentary affairs minister and is aware of finer details. Can the 43 MLAs propose his name during the proposed MLA meeting of the party on March 10. Without them the party is not in majority. Perhaps, they cannot do so as there is an unwritten rule—Muslim can never become CM of the state.