Lok Sabha elections 2024: Absence of Muslim Congress candidate not driving community away from MVA

Arif Naseem Khan, Congress state working president

Will the resignation of four-time MLA Arif Naseem Khan as a Congress star campaigner, in protest against the denial of a ticket to him, have serious repercussions for the party? It seems not.

Soon after Khan's resignation, a WhatsApp message went viral, urging Muslims to boycott election campaign events held by the Congress and NCP. Only then would these parties realise the value of Muslim support, said the message.

Such was the backlash from the community that within hours, the message was deleted.

This sequence of events sums up the mood of Muslim voters today. Whoever the candidate, their vote will go to the INDIA bloc, which they see as best placed to counter the BJP. This was the mood a month back when candidates had not been decided; it remains the same today, when not a single Muslim has been nominated by the alliance.

However, the lack of Muslim candidates is indeed something that troubles the community. Earlier, the usual demand was for more tickets to Muslims. But the number of Muslims getting tickets has fallen so sharply that the community risks being marginalised in Parliament.

"We didn't expect the Shiv Sena to nominate anyone from our community," said social worker Mansoor Darvesh. "But the Congress and NCP not doing so means they don't care for our opinions at all."

Question of winnability?

"The Congress and NCP talk about winnability as the criterion for choosing candidates," said political activist Akif Dafedar. "Does that mean all their Hindu candidates win?"

One reason parties cite for not giving tickets to Muslims is that Hindus will not vote for Muslim candidates. "This is wrong," said Dafedar. "By saying this, you are painting all Hindus as communal.''

There are, however, voices which question whether mere representation is enough.

A community leader must be such that no party can afford to dump them, said Marathi Muslim Sangh convenor Faquir Thakur, adding that Mumbai's Muslim MPs and MLAs were not of that calibre.

Asked Farouque Mapkar: "What's the point of a Muslim MP/MLA who does nothing for us?" Mapkar has seen the Muslim leadership up close in his long and lonely struggle to book the policeman who shot him during the 92-93 riots, and who was indicted by the Srikrishna Commission Report. "Arif Naseem Khan went to the Supreme Court for the implementation of the report, but after he became minister, did he do anything to get it implemented?" he asked.

Mapkar raised another question: "What's the point of Muslim representatives who cross over to the other side after winning on our votes?" Over the past few months, the NCP's Nawab Malik, and the Congress' Baba Siddiqui and Mushtaq Antulay, have joined Ajit Pawar's faction of the NCP, which is in alliance with the BJP.

Deafening silence

The lack of Muslim candidates is compounded by the silence of parties on Muslim issues. "We have really become fit only to lay mats for party meetings (‘dari bichanewale')," said a prominent religious figure wryly. "They want our votes, but won't mention us in their campaigns. They've made us political untouchables. In UP, Holi is now celebrated by covering up mosques, and nobody protests. Is this the freedom we fought for?"

Despite such concerns, Mumbai's Muslims are forcing themselves to vote for the Congress-NCP, parties they've always been loyal to. Ironically, when it comes to Uddhav Thackeray, they are more than positive, though he heads a party they've always opposed.

They give two reasons for this. One, Thackeray's record as CM. Not only did his handling of COVID appeal to them ("Muslim women really liked the way he spoke on TV during the pandemic, like a reassuring family elder"), but they also appreciated the way he handled crises which could have spelt trouble for Muslims, be it the lynching of sadhus in Palghar, or Raj Thackeray's ultimatum to stop azaan on loudspeakers.

Secondly, as community activist Sayeed Khan pointed out, a new generation has grown up who have no memory of the 1992-93 riots, or the Shiv Sena's role in them. Old-timers in the Sena may face awkward questions as they try to reach out to a community that has never voted for them, yet, the very people asking those questions know their vote will go to these old Sainiks.

The best example of this can be seen in south Mumbai, where Muslims have voted for the Deoras since the 80s. Now, Milind Deora is with the NDA. Do Muslims here feel his absence? "Even if his father Murli were alive, and he had allied with the BJP, we wouldn't have voted for him," said one, as he set off to attend sitting Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant's meeting.

May 20
Day Mumbai goes to the polls