Kolkata // Muslims have thrown their support behind the Congress Party with voters rejecting their traditional parties. In several states across the country, Muslims, who have previously voted for the Samajwadi Party (SP) or the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), switched their allegiance. "A big chunk of Muslims have begun believing that neither the SP nor the BSP cared for the development of Muslim-dominated areas and this population has chosen to go with the Congress this time," said Mohammad Arif, a social scientist.
"Congress has succeeded to wrest some voters from the SP and BSP mostly because many Muslims believe the first party is more secular than the two others." "The campaign by Rahul and Priyanka ? also added to the effect with young Muslims believing that both of the younger Gandhis were pro-development and would take care of all communities in the countries irrespective of their caste or religion, if they came to power."
Mr Arif said in Uttar Pradesh's Sultanpur constituency, Muslim voters rejected the sitting Muslim MP from BSP and chose to support a Hindu Congress candidate, Sanjay Singh. "It clearly shows most Muslims were leaning to vote for Congress party this time and did not go to vote for a candidate just because he or she was a Muslim. In fact, Muslims in Uttar Pradesh turned to Congress and in next parliamentary election Congress will possibly get more seats [than they have got this time]."
Hasan Kamaal, the editor of Mumbai-based Urdu daily Sahafat, said Muslims voted "wisely and intelligently". "They have voted for those parties that have done something on the economic front for them or for those who they expect to do something for them in future." Previously, Muslims have voted for either the SP or the BSP in a bid to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) out of power. In Uttar Pradesh, which sends the highest number of members to parliament, most Muslims support either the SP or BSP.
"In the past two or three elections Muslims in our [Moradabad] constituency had voted mostly for SP, some for BSP and even fewer for the Congress. But this time along with my family I have switched allegiance from SP to Congress," said the brass goods exporter Naseem Khan, 48, in the Uttar Pradesh town of Moradabad where Muslims constitute 40 per cent of the population. "Under these regional parties [like BSP and SP] Muslims have not seen much development of the community in Uttar Pradesh.
"I am convinced this party is secular and is capable of keeping the communal BJP at bay. I am happy to be back to Congress which I stopped supporting 15 years ago." aziz@thenational.ae