Headlines
Fewer Muslim candidates in Delhi, AAP Muslims' favourite
New Delhi, Feb 6
The number of Muslims
contesting the assembly polls in Delhi has fallen significantly in
comparison to 2013. And Muslim leaders and pundits feel most Muslims are
likely to vote for the AAP.
Of the 673 candidates in the fray
for Saturday's battle for the 70-member assembly, 68 are Muslims - down
from 108 two years ago when the total number of contestants was 810. In
2013, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party fielded the
highest number of Muslims -- 11 each. The BSP's Muslim candidates this
time has slid to seven. The Samajwadi Party is not in the race this
time.
Muslims account for over 11 percent of nearly 17 million population in Delhi.
Up
to eight constituencies have significant Muslim presence. These include
Okhla in south Delhi, Mustafabad and Seelampur in east Delhi and Matia
Mahal and Ballimaran in Old Delhi.
Matia Mahal has most Muslim candidates among all constituencies: 14 out of 17.
The
number of Muslims put up by the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party and the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remains virtually unchanged.
The
Congress fielded six Muslims in 2013 and four of them -- or 50 percent
of its eight legislators -- won. It has put up six Muslims now.
According to the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), 53 percent Muslims voted for the Congress in 2013.
The
Congress vote share, however, slipped in the 2014 Lok Sabha election,
indicating a shift of a part of its Muslim vote base among others to the
AAP.
The Congress is hopeful that Muslims will stick by it now.
"The
Congress will retain all its Muslims constituencies. Individual factors
also matter. People know that only we (Congress) can stop communal
forces like BJP," Matin Ahmed, who has not lost any election since 1993,
told IANS
The AAP has given ticket to five Muslims, down from six in 2013.
"We are sweeping Muslim votes this time," asserted Irfanullah, who heads the AAP's wing for minorities.
"In 2013 they (Muslims) were not sure about us. Now they know that the AAP alone can stop the BJP," he said.
The BJP has fielded only one Muslim - Shakeel Anjum Dehlavi, who was formerly with the AAP. The number was the same in 2013.
"The
BJP does not believe in the politics of so-called minority and
majority. We choose candidates based on their winnablity criterion,"
Atif Rashid, president of Delhi BJP's Minority Cell, told IANS.
The Hind Congress Party has fielded four Muslim candidates
The
Nationalist Congress Party, All India Minority Front, Indian Muslim
League, Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party, Communist Party of
India and Janata Dal-United have fielded one Muslim candidate each.
So who are Muslims in Delhi most likely to vote for? The most widespread answer is: AAP.
"AAP
appears to the most favourite among Muslims," Sanjay Kumar, a Fellow at
the CSDS, told IANS. "Most Muslims think only the AAP can overcome the
BJP."
Mufti Mukarram, the Shahi Imam of the 17th century Fatehpuri mosque in Old Delhi, agreed with Sanjay Kumar's assessment.
"From whatever interactions I have had with Muslims, I get the feeling that most Muslims will vote for the AAP.
"The
main reason is that Muslims are able to connect to the issues raised by
AAP. Also, Muslims, like everyone, remember the 49 days when (AAP
leader Arvind) Kejriwal provided a corruption-free government."
(Gaurav Sharma can be contacted at [email protected])