Assembly polls | AIMIM big worry for Cong in Rajasthan, no Muslim candidate for BJP

Jaipur: Around 10 per cent of Muslim voters in Rajasthan could play a key role in the election result of nearly 40 of the 200 assembly constituencies in the state.

Malnutrition and lack of quality education are major challenges for the community as a huge section of them live below the poverty line. The majority of the minority community have been loyal to the Congress till now. In 2013, all Muslim candidates of Congress had lost their seats, while in 2018 seven of 15 Muslim candidates from the party were elected. The BJP had fielded four candidates from the community in 2013 of which two won. Among the two victorious candidates, Yunus Khan became a cabinet minister in the BJP government and was the sole Muslim candidate of the BJP in 2018.

However, the BJP has not extended a ticket to any Muslim candidate in this assembly election while Congress has once again fielded 15 candidates.

Yet, Congress no longer can take the Muslim voters for granted, as the emergence of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and other parties has given the minority community more options in this polls.

AIMIM trouble for Congress
Ridiculing it as BJP's 'B team', the Congress had comfortably ignored the entry of AIMIM in Rajasthan earlier. However, the public turnout at rallies of AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi is now causing discomfort for the Congress. A split in minority vote is likely to damage the prospects of Congress and AIMIM has put up candidates in 13 assembly constituencies.

"We stand for the welfare of all backward and oppressed people and are not hesitant to speak for the welfare of Muslims. It's absurd that Congress should treat them as vote banks," says AIMIM state president Jameel Khan.

The AIMIM, searching for political ground outside Telangana, has always been eyeing Rajasthan for its growth. Over the past few years, Asaduddin Owaisi has made several visits to Rajasthan and slammed the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government on issues of minority welfare and incidents of lynching.

Owaisi has been popular among minority youth for his bold remarks and the party has added more than 4 lakh members in less than two years since its establishment its Rajasthan. The Muslim voters meanwhile share a genuine dilemma when it comes to voting.

"AIMIM has given tickets to educated and respected members of the society, yet they are mostly new to politics and unlikely to win. I could have voted for their candidate in local body elections but in assembly elections winning ability also needs to be taken into account," says Javed Khan, a resident of Kishanpole constituency where Congress has once again given ticket to Amin Kagzi and AIMIM has fielded Rafeek Khan.

Even as the chances of victory are bleak, AIMIM wants to make an impact in this poll. Among the 13 candidates of AIMIM, there is also one from the Scheduled Tribe along with 12 from the Muslim community, thus trying a Muslim-Dalit combination. Owaisi also held a public meeting in support of the party's sole Hindu candidate Pankhilal Meena in the Gangapur City constituency this week.

AIMIM state president Jameel Khan is contesting from the Hawa Mahal seat in Jaipur. The seat with nearly 2.6 lakh voters has over one lakh Muslim votes.

The BJP candidate for the seat is Mahant Balmukund Acharya, who is taking on RR Tiwari. AIMIM is optimistic that consolidation of Muslim and secular votes could help it defeat both BJP and Congress. A similar strategy is being tested by AIMIM on all 13 seats it's contesting.

AIMIM also issued a survey report on the status of the Muslim community, stating the alarming figures of malnutrition among children and other challenges. Their attack on the state government became aggressive earlier this year after two Muslim youths from Bharatpur district were allegedly murdered by cow vigilantes. The party displayed similar aggression over a recent incident of a Muslim youth's lynching in a road rage incident in Jaipur.

No Muslims in fray for BJP
There is no Muslim candidate among the BJP contestants in Rajasthan this year. In the 2018 assembly elections, the saffron party fielded one candidate from the community. The sole candidate, Yunus Khan, has been a close aide of Vasundhara Raje and a cabinet minister in the BJP government under her.

After being denied a ticket, Khan rebelled against the BJP and is now contesting as an independent from the Didwana seat. The sympathy wave may bolster his chances, but the BJP leaders are not much worried as they are hoping for the benefits of vote polarisation in other constituencies.

The BJP has been so particular about not giving tickets to Muslim community members that it withdrew the ticket to Masuda candidate Abhishek Singh Chauhan following allegations of him being a convert. Even though Chauhan refuted the allegation, BJP's official stand on the issue was that Abhishek concealed certain facts while seeking a ticket.

On being questioned on the issue, the national spokesperson of BJP Sudhanshu Trivedi said those from the community who got tickets only pushed the community backwards.