Rajasthan Polls: Congress Ticket Distribution Holds Key to Garnering Muslim Votes

The possibility of a division in Muslim votes in constituencies where the community has a sizeable population appears to have emerged as a cause of concern for Congress. Some activists in the state allege the Congress wants Muslims to vote in its favour, but does not want to give adequate representation to the community, adding that the party deliberately fields “weak Muslim candidates” just to give out a message that it is the only party that wants to politically empower the community. 

In the 2013 Assembly election, rebel and independent candidates from the community had harmed the party’s prospects. The Muslim community’s representation in the present Assembly is at a low, with only two MLAs elected on BJP tickets in the 2013 polls. The Congress had fielded 16 Muslim candidates, including some sitting MLAs, Cabinet Ministers and popular community leaders, but none of them could win.

There are indications this time that the grand old party may drop several Muslim candidates. This has created resentment in the community, and it can – say political observers – disturb the political balance, forcing the community members to look for a third option. Their is a view that the community is seriously thinking of voting in favour of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party formed by influential Jat leader, Hanuman Beniwal.

The Congress is likely to give fewer seats to Muslim candidates against 16 fielded in the last Assembly elections. If insiders are to be believed, the party wants to drop a Muslim candidate on any of the three seats (Kama, Tijara and Ramgarh) in the Meo majority districts of Alwar and Bharatpur. But former Union Minister Jitendra Singh is registering his strong protest against the idea, they said.

Sources said the party also does not want to give a seat to a Muslim contestant in Hadoti region. The area has four Assembly constituencies – Kota (6), Bundi (3), Baran (4) and Jhalawar (4) -- and one Muslim candidate has always been given ticket from here.

Similarly, no candidate is likely to be fielded at any of the two seats of Jaipur. It is certain that the party is not fielding any Muslim candidate from Sawai Madhopur, said sources. Congress insiders said the party is also not considering any Muslim candidate at Phalodi Assembly constituency in the Jodhpur division.

Only one Muslim candidate would be fielded in Nagaur district. The seat, according to sources, is Makrana. Also, only one seat may go to the community in Ajmer district. The two seats given to Muslim candidates in the last election in Shekhawati region may also be reduced.

In fact, the party is going bring down the number Muslim candidates from 16 in the last elections to 10 this time, sources said.

Sikar-based political analyst Ashfaq Kayamkhani alleged that the Congress in Rajasthan had consistently fielded weak candidates from the Muslim community so that they lose the seat and the party can replace them with someone from the majority community. “The party’s senior leaders never wanted a strong Muslim leadership to come up. There was always bargaining with no attempts being made to get the majority community's votes for Muslims,” he added.

Kayamkhani claimed the Muslim community, which accounts for 13% of the state's population, is likely to influence the outcome in at least 24 Assembly seats in Rajasthan. These include Barmer, Nagaur, Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Bharatpur, Alwar, Dungarpur-Banswara and Jaipur (city) districts.