Muslims in UP a confused lot

As the ''secular'' parties scramble for around 20 per cent Muslim votes in Uttar Pradesh, the community finds itself at a crossroads in the state and appears to be weighing its options.

Both the 'grand alliance' comprising the Samajwadi Party (SP), BSP and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and the Congress have been going all out to woo the Muslims, whose support is considered to be decisive in around two dozen Lok Sabha constituencies across the state.

Muslim scholars and political analysts say that there was ''confusion'' in the community over whether to support the grand alliance or the Congress.

''Muslims were certain the Congress would also be included in the grand alliance.....in that case there would not have been any confusion,'' said Dr Mohammed Mustakeem, a Muslim scholar.

He said that despite being 20 per cent of the total electorate in UP, no Muslim candidate could make it to Lok Sabha in 2014 owing to mainly to the division in their votes.

Muslim scholars predicted that their community would vote for the candidates, who would be in a position to ''defeat'' the BJP. They, however, also feared division in their votes this time again.

In some LS constituencies, both Congress and the grand alliance have fielded Muslim candidates. ''In such places, the Muslims votes will be divided,'' said J.P.Shukla, a Lucknow based political analyst.

Besides there also were smaller outfits like the Peace Party and AIMIM, which also jump in the fray and further divide the Muslim votes, he said.

Faizan Ahmed, a student, at Lucknow University, says that Muslims have always been used as a ''vote bank'' by the ''secular parties''. ''Muslims will have to choose between the Congress and the grand alliance,'' he said.

Vajahat Hussain, a journalism student here, also echoed similar sentiments.

No wonder BSP supremo Mayawati had to make an appeal to the Muslims to ensure their votes were not divided. ''You (Muslims) must not let your votes be split....it will only benefit the BJP,'' she said at an election rally at Saharanpur, where Muslims formed 42 per cent of the total electorate, referring to the Congress' Muslim nominee Imran Masood.

With barely three days to go for the first phase of the polling in the state, it remains to be seen, who gets their support.