BJP’s Muslim score: 7 of 482 fielded, no winners
In Bihar, Shahnawaz Husain, the only sitting Muslim MP the BJP has had since the mid-1990s, lost from Bhagalpur.
It is the first time that a ruling party has no Muslims in the Lok Sabha, the apparent Modi “wave” having failed to impact the BJP’s Muslim candidates. The party had fielded seven Muslims among 482 candidates (1.45 per cent) and all lost. Of the 17.16 crore votes (31 per cent) the BJP polled nationwide, 5.55 lakh went to its Muslim candidates.
In Bihar, Shahnawaz Husain, the only sitting Muslim MP the BJP has had since the mid-1990s, lost from Bhagalpur, winning 3.58 lakh votes and finishing a close second.
In West Bengal, Badsha Alam (Tamluk) polled 86,265 votes to finish third, and Md Alam (Ghatal) polled 94,842 for fourth place.
In Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP won three seats, but the Muslims given tickets did poorly in the other three seats. Ghulam Mohammed Mir (Baramulla) was sixth with 6,568 votes; Faiyyaz Ahmed Bhat (Srinagar) fourth with 4,467; Mushtaque Ahmed Mallik (Anantnag) fourth with 4,720.
In Lakshadweep, MP Syed Mohammad Koya finished fifth, with 187 votes.
THE OTHER PARTIES
In a Lok Sabha with 23 Muslims, 4 per cent of 543 and the lowest count since 1962, not one of them comes from UP. The BJP won 71 seats there; not one of its candidates was a Muslim. UP had voted in 10 Muslims in 2004, and six in 2009.
With no Muslim anywhere elected from the BJP, states the party swept — Rajasthan and Gujarat — consequently have no Muslim MPs. Nor has Madhya Pradesh.
The Trinamool has four Muslims MPs, the Congress three.
West Bengal has sent the highest number of Muslim MPs at seven. The Trinamool’s four are Sultan Ahmed from Uluberia, Idris Ali from Basirhat, Aparupa Poddar aka Afrin Ali from Arambagh and Mamtaz Sanghamita from Burdwan-Durgapur. The Congress has Mausam Noor and Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury from Maladha Uttar and Dakshin. The CPM has sent Md Selim from Raiganj and Badaruddoza Khan from Murshidabad.
Bihar is next with four Muslim MPs. The Congress has sent Asrarul Haque from Kishanganj, Araria has elected the RJD’s Tasleemuddin, the NCP’s Tariq Anwar has won Katihar, and the LJP’s Mehboob Ali Kaiser (Khagaria) is the only Muslim MP from the NDA.
Kerala has elected Muslims: the Muslim League’s E Ahamed and E Basheer from Mallapuram and Ponnani, and the CPM’s A N Shamseer from Vadakara. Jammu & Kashmir has three, all PDP.
Assam has sent in the UDF’s Badruddin and Sirajuddin Ajmal. Assaduddin Owaisi of the MIM is Andhra Pradesh’s only Muslim MP. In Tamil Nadu, Ramanathapuram has elected Anwhar Raajhaa of the AIADMK. Lakshadweep was won by Md Faizal PP of the NCP.
VIEWPOINTS
Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani, head of Dar-ul-Uloom, Deoband, says: “In a democracy, respecting the people’s verdict is a must… After forming government, let’s see what the BJP does… It would be premature to say anything, but we should always hope for betterment.”
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has termed the results an outcome of disunity, division and mutual clashes among secular parties and their leaders. Nusrat Ali, secretary general, said the results are a challenge to secular India. He said some points in the BJP’s manifesto and statements by its leaders have created apprehensions, “but we hope the government and its leaders, in the larger interests of the country, will follow raj dharma and work for justice and equality… ”
Dr Manzoor Alam of the Milli Council said: “Muslims should not feel despondent, but they should rework their approach and analyse how and where they tripped up…”
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