IPS officer who resigned from force in protest against CAA in 2019 to contest from Dhule on VBA ticket

Rahman will be facing the two-term MP and former Union minister Dr Subhash Bhamre of the BJP while the candidate for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has not yet been declared.

Apart from Rahman, former Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik is contesting from Odisha for BJD. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, former Mumbai Police chief Satyapal Singh had won the Lok Sabha elections on BJP ticket.

Rahman, who did his B Tech from IIT Kanpur and hails from Bihar, had served in various capacities including ASP Latur, SP Dhule, SRPF, Police Training School and eventually resigned as IG (SHRC), considered a non executive posting in 2019 which he said was in protest against the CAA.

Talking to The Indian Express, Rahman said, ” After resigning from the force, I wanted to do something for the people and politics is the best way to reach out to the common man. While I do not hail from Dhule, I have served as an SP for two years (between 2002 – 2004) and am well versed with the area and its problems.” “On the local level, there are issues like the water problem which needs to be focused on. Apart from this, I also want to focus on the Manmad-Malegaon-Dhule-Indore rail line, promised long back, which can improve the lives of the people,” he added.

The Dhule Lok Sabha constituency is spread over the districts of Dhule and Nashik. It comprises six Assembly segments: Dhule Rural, Dhule City, Sindkheda, Malegaon Central, Malegaon Outer, and Baglan. As per Rahman, the Dhule Lok Sabha seat has 24 per cent Muslim, 15 per cent tribal and 7 per cent Dalit population who he says need to be educated about the alleged misrule of the 10 years of the Narendra Modi government.

“On the national level, the misrule of the Modi government which is against Muslims, backward communities and farmers has to be fought and I will reach out to these communities,” said Rahman who has also penned three books including one on representation of Muslims in the government administration.

When asked about his rival BJP’s Bhamre, who won the 2019 elections with 56.6 per cent of the vote share, Rahman said, ” There is heavy anti-incumbency against him. Soon after BJP announced his name, many people expressed their unhappiness.”

On the MVA candidate, he said, ” So far they have not declared a candidate and I would request them to not field a candidate for the greater good.”

On allegations that VBA is seen as a party that is used to cut votes of the MVA, he said, “Earlier, VBA was to get into an alliance with MVA but the seat sharing talks failed. Big national parties have to understand that smaller parties like ours are made as per aspirations of the people. And if the smaller parties are not given their due, they will contest which could impact seats of the bigger parties.”