VBA takes lead in naming Muslim candidates

VBA candidates Abdur Rahman and Abul Hassan Khan

Before the BJP and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) could announce their candidate for the Mumbai North-Central Lok Sabha seat where the Muslim voters have the largest presence in the city, the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) has again fielded a Muslim, Abul Hasan Khan. Meanwhile, former IPS officer Abdur Rahman will lead the VBA charge in Dhule in North Maharashtra.

In 2019, the VBA's Abdur Rahman Anjaria couldn't do much damage as he could get only 33,703 votes, as BJP's Poonam Mahajan (4.86 lakh votes) took a good winning lead against Congress nominee Priya Dutt (3.56 lakh votes). Abul Hasan Khan was VBA's nominee in the 2019 Assembly elections from Chandivli, which is part of Mumbai North-Central. He had got 8,876 votes, more than enough to cause the defeat of another Muslim in the contest, Congress's Arief Naseem Khan, who lost to the undivided Shiv Sena's Dilip Lande by only 409 votes.

Scheduled for voting on May 20, the national parties in the fray have some more time to declare their respective candidates. In MVA, the Congress is expected to get this seat. Actor Swara Bhaskar, actor-turned-politician Rab Babbar and state Congress working president Arif Naseem Khan are the Congress probables. The BJP seems to be delaying the announcement for reasons other than seat-sharing issues. The Shinde Sena hasn't claimed this constituency. Speculators say that incumbent MP Poonam Mahajan's return to the electoral field had hit a snag.

What makes Mumbai North-Central significant is the mix of voters. It comprises six Assembly segments - Bandra (West), Bandra (East), Kalina, Kurla, Chandivali and Vile Parle. It houses the city's biggest government employees' residential colony, along with the plush residences of Bollywood stars, international cricketers and affluent personalities. It also has slums, mostly housing poor Muslims and Hindus. Christians and Jains have a good presence here. Buddhists and other scheduled castes have a good population. The constituency is home to the Shiv Sena-UBT president Uddhav Thackeray and RPI-A president and Union minister of state Ramdas Athawale.

Ex-IPS for Dhule

VBA has also catered to the Muslim community's demand for candidature in the Dhule constituency that includes Malegaon and other sensitive places. Ex-IPS officer Abdur Rahman will lead the VBA charge here in North Maharashtra's part which is known as Khandesh. Rahman had quit the service five years ago in protest of the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Sources said Rahman had approached the Congress leadership for the candidature in Dhule, but to no avail. Dhule has not been cleared in seat-sharing talks. BJP has repeated former minister of state Dr Subhash Bhamre. "The party that raises the voices of the oppressed and suppressed people has given me an opportunity. I will try to be the voice of the deprived such as the SCs, STs, OBCs, Muslims and other minorities, applying all my energy, power and strength," said the IIT Kanpur alumnus.

Scare for Praniti?

VBA has put its candidates in Solapur-SC where Prakash Ambedkar, as a candidate, had split votes to cause senior Congressman Sushilkumar Shinde's defeat in 2019. This time, Shinde's MLA daughter Praniti is contesting. VBA's Rahul Gaikwad will be seen in a triangular fight with Praniti and BJP's Ram Satpute.

In 2019, Ambedkar received 1.70 lakh votes and Shinde got 3.66 lakh votes. BJP's Jaisiddheshwar Swami (5.24 lakh votes) had emerged winner. The division of votes had given the BJP a clear advantage.

VBA also declared candidates for Hingoli, Latur-SC, Madha, Satara, Hatkangale, Raver, Jalna and Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg. Earlier, the party had named eight candidates, including Ambedkar from Akola, where Congress, in a fitting reply to VBA chief, has given a candidate, Dr Abhay Patil, to make it a triangular contest. The VBA has extended support to the Congress in Nagpur. To date, the VBA, which is labeled as BJP's ‘Team B', has announced 19 candidates. Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats.

19
No. of candidates announced by VBA