Divided,Muslim MPs’ tally dips

In 2009,the picture has changed dramatically with only six members from the minority community returning to the to Parliament of which four are from the BSP and three from the Congress.

This time,the SP had given ticket to ten Muslims but none were elected. The BSP had fielded 15 Muslim candidates,of which only three were elected. The Congress,on the other hand,had given ticket to nine Muslim candidates,of which only three have been elected.

Aggressive campaign by the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the state,“friendship” of Samajwadi Party with Kalyan Singh and overemphasis of the Bahujan Samaj Party on the “Sarva Samaj” were some of the factors which determined the electoral behaviour of the Muslims in the state,which is considered to be the vote bank of the SP.

According to the Muslim intellectuals,much water has flown down the Gomti since the unlocking of the Babri mosque in 1986 and subsequent demolition in December 1992. The new generation has come up,who have no bitter memories of the communal cauldron created by the dispute. Moreover,they feel that the people have forgotten the acts of  “omission and commission” and also the then prime minister PV Narsimha Rao was responsible for the Babri issue and not the entire Congress party.

The projection of Modi as the prime ministerial candidate for 2014 by the BJP also created the fear psychosis among the Muslims. “Projection of Modi parallel to LK Advani as the national leader and future prime minister also revived the bitter memories of the Muslims and they voted enmasse for the Congress,” said Hafiz Nomani,political analyst.

Aggressive campaign by the rebel SP leader Azam Khan against his party’s tie up with Kalyan Singh and the subsequent confusion following Mulayam Singh Yadav’s giving a clean chit to the former BJP chief minister on the demolition of the Babri mosque also played on the psyche of the Muslims leading to their disillusionment from the SP.

“As for the BSP,the Muslims could never locate their place in the much touted social engineering formula of the party. So they voted for the ruling party only where there was a strong Muslim candidate,” said Jafaryab Jilani,member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board.

According to Nomani,the BSP got substantial Muslim votes in western UP that went to polls in the fourth and fifth phase.

“Muslims of Kanpur voted for the Congress. They no longer hold the Congress responsible for the demolition of the Babri mosque for which only Narsihma Rao was responsible,” said Jameel Akhtar Nomani,editor of a prominent Urdu daily. “The promises of implementation of the Sachar committee report for the minorities also influenced the minorities in Kanpur,” he added.