Swept by BJP in 2017, but Covid, AMU anger could spell change in Aligarh

For many students, the violence at AMU still feels fresh. As Aligarh district heads for polls in the first phase on February 10, that plus the “persecution” of students that followed, the missing jobs and the second wave when Covid ran through the area are uppermost in their minds.

Bringing the issues into sharp focus are the three AMU graduates contesting across two constituencies, looking to unseat the BJP, which won all the seven Assembly seats in Aligarh district in 2017.

“We have nothing but nafrat (hatred) for the present government. It is hard to forget what happened that night. Since then something or the other has been happening at the university and there is an attempt to portray us in a certain way. We want to vote for a stable future,” says Inamul Hassan, an LLM student.

The campus falls in the Aligarh Koil constituency, which was won by the BJP’s Anil Parashar, who has been renominated by the party. The six other constituencies are Khair (SC), Barauli, Atrauli, Charra, Aligarh City and Iglas (SC). While Aligarh district has a substantial Muslim population, the Congress has fielded only one candidate from the community in the seven seats, and the SP-RLD two. The BJP has renominated five of its sitting MLAs.

The Congress candidate from Aligarh Koil is Vivek Bansal, an AMU graduate and former MLC who has contested twice on the same seat, unsuccessfully. The SP-RLD’s nominee is Shaz Ishaq, another AMU product, who lost in 2017.

With four other candidates in the fray, both the Congress and SP are hoping that the 1.4 lakh Muslim votes do not get split, ending up benefiting the BJP. Last time, the BJP had won by decent margins, amidst a wave for the party.

Zaid Sherwani, the cabinet member of the AMU students’ union, says this time the SP-RLD has a good chance from Aligarh Koil. Students are rooting for Ishaq not only because he is from the university, “but also because the alliance has emerged as a credible option”, he says. “There is no doubt that the violence is etched in the memory of students. Besides that, everyone saw that people could not get oxygen cylinders during Covid.”

The Aligarh City constituency starts a few kilometres from the AMU campus, separated by a railway line from Aligarh Koil. Both are primarily urban seats.

In Aligarh City, the Congress has fielded former AMU students’ union president, Salman Imtiaz, who led the anti-CAA-NRC protests. He was charged with promoting enmity, but the agitation gave shape to Salman’s political career.

In January, Imtiaz was barred by the local court from entering the district, for charges under the Goonda Act. He received relaxation from the Commissioner’s office.

Salman says the Congress has a lot to offer, and that will be a deciding factor. “I have a helpline where people can inform about their issues. The party has promised to work for better wages for factory workers. On many such issues, the current government has failed and people are looking for a change.”

While the SP has fielded veteran leader Zafar Alam from Aligarh City, the BJP candidate is Mukta Raja.

Raja’s posters proclaim her name as ‘Mukta Sanjeev Rana’ in a large font, with her husband’s photo alongside. Rana, the sitting MLA, was convicted in an assault case from 1999 and is hence barred from contesting. “For me the election is about security and rashtrawad (nationalism), development. We will ensure that the law and order situation remains the same as it has been under Yogi ji’s rule,” Raja told The Indian Express.

“This is her first time in politics. Most of her canvassing has been in her husband’s name or on the work done by him,” admits Santosh, a local trader. However, he adds, “the reality is we support Yogi (Adityanath)”. He lists improved law and order and regular electricity supply as reasons. “There is inflation, but it cannot be helped.”

The fear among most in Aligarh though is that the discourse will continue to remain about religion, and not issues that matter. “From temple to development, everything is justified on the basis of religion. This is the first time I am witnessing an election where everything is about faith. We have to go beyond divisiveness,” says Ajay Bisariya, AMU Hindi Department Professor. “The country didn’t gain Independence in 2014, a lot happened before that as well.”