The Congress is anxious about votes getting split up in a few seats in the minority bastion in Uttarakhand with rivals such as Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM fielding Muslim candidates. A section in the Congress says it feels the presence of more than one Muslim candidate in a constituency is an attempt to weaken the party.
Although only two Muslim Congress sitting legislators from Haridwar district are in the fray, Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), SP and BSP have altogether given 18 tickets to Muslim candidates in Haridwar district and elsewhere.
Congress state general secretary MD Joshi says, “Despite all, voters are aware. They know why seasonal parties are in the state and to help whom.”
A close look at the candidates’ list suggests the first-time entrant in the state politics, AIMIM, has fielded four candidates in Haridwar (rural), Haldwani, Khatima and Kiccha constituency. The SP has given a maximum of 11 tickets to Muslims in Haridwar (rural), Peeran Kaliyar and Haldwani. The BSP, however, has fielded three Muslim candidates in Haridwar district, one each in Haridwar (rural), Laksar and Manglaur seats.
Why Minorities Votes Matter
Muslims comprise 14% of Uttarakhand’s population, majority of whom lives in Haridwar district. Besides, they also have a substantial presence in Udham Singh Nagar district, and some pockets in Nainital and Dehradun districts.
Between the BSP and SP, the latter has never won any seat in the state assembly. However, the BSP has a sizeable presence in a couple of seats in Haridwar district. The Dalit-Muslim combination in the past had helped the BSP win two-four seats alone in Haridwar. Amidst a strong Modi wave, Mayawati’s party failed to win a single seat in 2017 but secured little more than 7% votes.
ALSO READ: Daughters of Former Uttarakhand CMs Vow to ‘Avenge’ Their Father’s Defeat This Election
Interestingly, all SP, BSP and AIMIM have given tickets to Muslim candidates in Haridwar (rural) seat from where Anupama Rawat, the daughter of Congress poster boy Harish Rawat, is contesting. Haridwar (rural) has considerable Muslim voters and it is believed that in 2017 polls BSP’s Muslim candidate became the reason for Harish Rawat’s defeat from this seat.
The two other important seats to watch out for are Khatima and Haldwani. Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is contesting from Khatima, which has a mix bag of voters. AIMIM, too, is contesting from Khatima giving sleepless nights to Congress. In Haldwani constituency, Sumit, son of leader of opposition late Indira Hridayesh, is contesting on a Congress ticket. Rival SP and AIMIM have pitted Muslim candidates against Sumit in Haldwani, which has more than 30,000 Muslim voters. In fact, AIMIM candidate Matin Siddiqui, considered a strong leader, recently switched over from the Congress.
AIMIM state president Nayyar Kazmi said the party has fielded candidates after taking all calculations into consideration.
“We are here to make the presence felt and not to eat someone’s vote. We are working hard on four seats that AIMIM contesting,” said Kazmi.
Qazi Nizamuddin, a three-time Congress legislator facing another Muslim candidate from BSP in Manglaur constituency in Haridwar district, says, “Congress will get votes on its credibility”.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here.
.