As the results of the Gujarat local body elections came in on February 18, they were along expected lines. The BJP swept the polls, winning 1,608 of the 2,171 seats across municipalities, municipal corporations, and district and taluka panchayats. But one aspect of its dominant display stood out: in 66 municipalities that voted (mid-term polls were held in an additional two bodies), the number of Muslim candidates elected on the BJP ticket went up significantly, with the ruling party making inroads in districts where voters from the minority community are sizable in number. In 2018, the last time elections were held in these municipalities, 46 Muslims won on the BJP ticket (in 75 municipalities overall, including the 66 that voted this year). This year, the number is up to 76, including 33 women (the party had fielded 103 Muslim candidates), with several of these candidates from municipalities in the districts of Patan, Kheda, Panchmahal, and Junagadh where no Muslim BJP candidates were elected last time. Overall, the number of Muslims elected in municipalities has also gone up from 252 in 2018 to 275. The BJP’s share is significantly higher at nearly 28%, compared to 18% seven years ago. The Congress's share continues to be the highest at 39% and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is at 4.7%. The AAP had 13 Muslim winners, including 11 in Salaya municipality in Jamnagar where the BJP did not win a single seat. The BJP’s state minority cell president, Mohsin Lokhandwala, told The Indian Express, “The Muslims of Gujarat had made up their mind about wanting the development politics of the BJP, against the appeasement politics of the Congress. The Muslim community has benefited from government schemes of the state and Central governments. We, as Muslims, feel that the BJP does not discriminate against us and wholeheartedly gave us the benefits of schemes.” He added, “Muslims who are active members of the BJP demanded that they be given tickets to contest the elections. We submitted a list of 150 Muslim workers and leaders who showed an interest. The state unit discussed the list with elected MLAs, MPs, and local leaders and chose 103 of them. This victory only shows that Muslims are shifting from the Congress to the BJP. We are also thankful to the state BJP leadership that showed faith in these leaders and gave them tickets.” Compared to the last election, the BJP will have Muslim councillors in nine new seats across three municipalities in Kheda district, five in Patan's Radhanpur district, six in Junagadh municipality of Vanthali, and five in two municipalities in Panchmahal district. The BJP’s Muslim candidates also won in the coastal districts of Gir Somnath and Jamnagar, where large-scale demolitions by the local administration to free government land of encroachments were expected to damage its prospects as it was seen as “targeting a particular community”. State BJP vice-president Jishan Naqvi who is from Kodinar in Gir Somnath said, ”There was anger among Muslims about the religious structures razed by the district administration. We were also unhappy with such a step. In our campaign, we convinced the voters to look ahead, be practical, and instead of neglecting the BJP, support it. If we walk with the BJP, we will see development in our wards and even our issues will be sorted out. Two of our candidates (in Kodinar) won uncontested as the Congress candidates withdrew.” Why Muslim votes may be shifting The Congress, which is on the ropes in the state, won 632 of the 2064 municipality seats in 2018 but saw its tally fall to 252. Its number of Muslim winners has also gone down from 133 to 109. The lone Muslim MLA in the Gujarat Assembly, Imran Khedawala, claimed, “Many of our (Muslim) candidates did not contest on the Congress symbol and won as Independents … their priority is to get work done in their areas.” Professor Ghanshyam Shah, a former professor of social science at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, wrote in a chapter in the book India’s 2014 Elections — A Modi-led BJP Sweep, about how the Salaya municipality, unaffected by the 2002 riots and governed by the Congress till 2010, experienced neglect in infrastructure development. “A few Muslim leaders moved to the BJP after the 2007 Assembly elections. In 2008, for the first time, four Muslims contested municipal elections for the BJP and won. Then, the town started receiving state government funds for infrastructure development. Such tangible benefits convinced other Muslims to join the party. In 2013, BJP won 24 of 27 municipal seats,” he said, adding, “For Muslims, it is a question of survival. They know the Congress cannot help them. They (Muslims) want at least basic needs fulfilled like roads … Unfortunately, in Gujarat, the Congress has no desire to win elections.” The recent elections also saw Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi’s party AIMIM fielding candidates but it was restricted to only one seat in the Upleta taluka panchayat in Rajkot district. “Of the 71 candidates, 12 were Hindus in the panel with Muslim candidates,” AIMIM state president Sabir Kabliwala told The Indian Express. “We were limited to a single seat but not a single AIMIM candidate lost their deposit as our vote share has increased. Our party is new to the state, we will make progress in the coming polls.”
