Khaleequr Rahman: First time UP fails to send any muslim MP to Lok S...

Khaleequr Rahman: First time UP fails to send any muslim MP to Lok S...: For the first time, Uttar Pradesh, which accounts for nearly 18 per cent of the Muslim population, has failed to send even one M...

First time UP fails to send any muslim MP to Lok Sabha

For the first time, Uttar Pradesh, which accounts for nearly 18 per cent of the Muslim population, has failed to send even one Muslim MP to the Lok Sabha. This is not a good sign in democracy that the absolute polarization and the division of votes of one particular community has taken place. Muslims were supposed to have done the tactical voting but the results have shown that muslims have done the voting in the most fragmented manner which led to wastage of their votes. The so called secular parties are also to be blamed for this as they have fielded the muslim candidates from the muslim dominated constituencies and the muslims failed to understand ther game plan.

The BJP won from all the 21 seats where Muslim population is more than 10 per cent. Major Muslim dominated seats like Saharanpur, Rampur, Sambhal, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Kairana, Baghpat, Bijnor, Amroha witnessed multiple Muslim candidates resulting in splitting of votes in favour of the BJP. It is also a fact the some muslim votes have gone in favour of BJP in the muslim constituencies.

From the trend, we can make out that even Dalits and Yadavs have voted for Modi. The appeal of Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid, in favour of the Congress, did not work.

In 2009, seven Muslim candidates — Mr.Salman Khurshid, Mr.Mohammad Azharuddin and Mr.Zafar Ali Naqvi from the Congress, and Mr.Kadir Rana, Mr.Shafiqur Rehman Barq, Smt.Kaiser Jahan and Smt.Tabassum Hasan from the BSP won from UP.

In 2014, all Muslim candidates — 13 from SP, 19 from BSP and nine from Congress — lost the polls. While Mr.Salman Khurshid and Mr.Naqvi lost elections, Mr.Azharuddin did not contest from UP. BSP’s Mr.Kadir Rana, Smt.Kaiser Jahan lost the polls while Mr.Barq lost as the SP candidate. Smt.Tabassum changed sides and her son Mr.Nahid Hasan lost as SP candidate. In Rampur, which is the home district of SP leader Mr.Azam Khan, party candidate Mr.Naseer Ahmed Khan, BSP’s Mr.Akbar Hussain, Congress’s Nawab Kazim Ali Khan lost to BJP’s Dr Nepal Singh.

At Sambhal, SP’s Barq, BSP Aqeelur Rehman Khan lost to BJP’s Mr.Satyapal Singh. Barq polled 3.55 lakh votes but lost by 5,174 votes. Another Muslim candidate in Sambhal Aqeelur Rehman Khan got 2.62 lakh votes resulting in division of votes.

Muslims votes were also divided at Moradabad where SP’s S T Hasan, Congress’s Begum Noor Bano, BSP’s Haji Yaqoob Qureshi, Peace Party’s Mohammad Irfan lost to Kunwar Sarvesh Kumar of the BJP.

In Meerut, SP’s Shahid Manzoor, BSP’s Shahid Ikhlaq and Congress’s Nagma lost to BJP’s Rajendra Aggrawal. At Domariyaganj, Peace Party chief Mohammad Ayub and BSP’s Mohammad Muqeem lost to BJP’s Jagdambika Pal. In Shrawasti, SP’s Atiq Ahmed and Peace Party’s Rizwan Zaheer lost to Daddan Mishra of BJP. In Gonda, BSP’s Akber Ahmed Dumpy and Peace Party’s Masood Alam Khan lost to BJP’s Kirtivardhan Singh. At Amroha, SP’s Humera Akhter, BSP’s Farhat Hussain lost to BJP’s Kunwar Tanwar Hussain. Qaumi Ekta Dal’s Mukhtar Ansari lost polls from Ghosi and his brother Afzal Ansari lost from Ballia.

Khaleequr Rahman: Muslim representation reduced to 23 in 16th Lok Sa...

Khaleequr Rahman: Muslim representation reduced to 23 in 16th Lok Sa...: The 16th Lok Sabha will have one of the lowest representation for Muslims with just about 23 of them emerging victorious in the Lok...

Muslim representation reduced to 23 in 16th Lok Sabha, none in BJP's 282

The 16th Lok Sabha will have one of the lowest representation for Muslims with just about 23 of them emerging victorious in the Lok Sabha polls in the wake of the saffron surge in the north and western parts of India. Uttar Pradesh, which has 80 seats, has not returned any Muslim candidate in the just-concluded elections. An analysis of the results shows that there are about 23 winners from the Muslim community. BJP, the largest party with 282 members, does not have a single representative from the community.

In the new Lok Sabha, the biggest contingent of Muslim MPs would be from West Bengal with seven members followed by Bihar where at least four Muslim candidates have won. Going by estimates, there were 28 Muslim members in the outgoing Lower House. Trinamool Congress has at least three members from the community among whom are Idris Ali (Basirhat), Sultan Ahmed (Uluberia) and Mamtaz Sanghamita (Burdwan-Durgapur).

The others minority community members from West Bengal include CPM's Badaruddoza Khan (Murshidabad) and Md Salim (Raiganj). There are also two Congress members — Mausam Noor (Maldaha Uttar) and Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury (Maldaha Dakshin) — who have won in these elections from the state.

From Bihar, there are at least four Muslim MPs in the new Lok Sabha. They include RJD's Tasleemuddin (Araria), NCP's Tariq Anwar (Katihar), LJP's Chaudhary Mahboob Ali Qaisar (Khagaria) and Congress member Mohd Asrarul Haq Qasmi (Kishanganj).

From Jammu & Kashmir, there are three Muslim members for the new House, including PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti (Anantnag). The remaining two, Muzaffar Hussain Baig (Baramulla) and Tariq Hameed Karra (Srinagar), are also from PDP.

There are two Muslim MPs from Assam — Siraj Uddin Ajmal (Barpeta) and Badruddin Ajmal (Dhubri). Both are members of the All India United Democratic Front.

NCP's Mohd Faizal PP has won in Lakshadweep while AIADMK member Anwhar Raajhaa has made it to the Lower House from Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu. All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader Asaduddin Owaisi, representing Hyderabad, has retained his seat.

Registering its best-ever showing, BJP has won 282 seats in Lok Sabha polls, becoming the first party in 30 years to have single majority.

The BJP and Mr.Modi will have to pay a special attention to this and try and give accommodate more muslims in rajya sabha. The two very strong contenders in the Ministry could be Smt.Najma Heptulla and Mr.Mukhtar Ahmed Naqvi. It is astonishing that Mr.Shahnawaz Hussain has lost in the BJP wave which is being debated everywhere. There are talks that Shahnawaz belongs to Shri Advani group and the chances are that he may not get an opportunity to be accommodated in the Rajya Sabha because of his proximity to Shri L.K.Advani. It will interesting to see the role of Mr.Sabir Ali, Former Rajya sabha member and once the close aide of Mr.Nitish singh. It is believed that Mr.Sabir Ali is closed to Mr.Modi and he would get a chance in the Modi’s new team. It is also believed that Mr.Sabir Ali did speak to many muslim leaders and the clerics for and on behalf of Mr.Modi for which he is likely to be rewarded.