Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 | Overlooked in LS polls, Muslim leaders confident of increasing numbers

Mumbai: After being ignored by the six big parties of the two coalitions of the state - ruling Maha Yuti (NDA) and opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (I.N.D.I.A.) - in the Lok Sabha polls, the Muslim community is asserting itself and a lot is in the store for the forthcoming Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections.

In the 2014 and 2019 polls, the Muslim representation was 9 and 10, respectively, in the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

Of the total of more than 13 crore population of Maharashtra, Muslims account for around 11.5 per cent.

“Over the years, the Muslim community has voted after looking at pros and cons. This time would be no different. But it needs to be understood that Lok Sabha polls and Vidhan Sabha polls are different,” said Aejaz Ahmed Ansari, a veteran Urdu journalist and political commentator.

One of the key issues of the elections is that the Muslim community - irrespective of party affiliations- is demanding reservation in jobs and education.

There is a lot of buzz among both the coalitions on giving tickets to Muslims more than what they have been given in the past.

DH infographic on number of Muslim MLAs in Maharashtra Assembly over the years. 

The BJP leadership was rattled as days after Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke of “vote jihad”, NCP President and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar announced that they would reserve 10 per cent seats for minority candidates in the upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Assembly polls. In fact, when the seven MLCs were nominated from the Governor’s quota to the Maharashtra Legislative Council, among the two he sent a prominent Muslim leader Idris Iliyas Naikwadi, former Mayor of Sangli city.

Shiv Sena’s Altaf Khan Pevekar has requested Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to field more Muslim candidates.

It may be mentioned that during the Lok Sabha polls, senior Congress leader Naseem Khan was agitated that not a single Muslim candidate was fielded from the state. However, later Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, who is now Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, pacified him. Khan is now a special invitee in the Congress Working Committee.

The Congress state leadership as well as the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) too are planning to field a good number of Muslim candidates. It is to be seen, how many Muslim candidates are fielded by Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT).

“Parties need the votes of the Muslim community but stay away from giving representation to Muslim as MLAs, MLCs and MPs,” said Ashraf Ali, Secretary, MPCC, Social Justice Department. “At a time when there could be wins and losses because of small margins, it is essential that secular votes are intact,” Ashraf added.

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi founder Prakash Ambedkar has decided to field a lot of Muslim candidates. Lashing out at Maha Yuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi, he said: “From 2019-2024, only 9 questions on minority issues were raised in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly…welfare, employment, education, socio-economic backwardness, lack of representation, upliftment, all ignored Maha Vikas Aghadi was in the government for 2.5 years and MahaYuti has been in the government for 2.5 years.

"Both MVA and MahaYuti practice the politics of exclusion,” he alleged.

The Samajwadi Party is in negotiation with MVA leadership. The AIMIM too is planning to field candidates in a big way.