New Delhi: In the recently concluded assembly elections, Maharashtra saw 10 Muslim candidates elected, while Jharkhand elected four. These figures highlight the continued underrepresentation of Muslims despite their significant population share in both states.
Maharashtra Assembly Results
Maharashtra, with over 13% Muslim population, elected 10 Muslim MLAs to its 288-seat assembly, maintaining the same number as in the previous term. This amounts to only 3.5% representation, reflecting a persistent gap. Notably, no Muslim candidates from Maharashtra have representation in the Lok Sabha.
Out of 420 Muslim candidates in Maharashtra, 218 ran independently, while 150 were supported by smaller parties. Major political parties fielded very few Muslim candidates, drawing criticism for neglecting Muslim representation.
Among the winners, Abdul Sattar (Shiv Sena), Hasan Mushrif, and Sana Malik (NCP-Ajit faction) secured victories for the Mahayuti alliance. Rais Shaikh of the Samajwadi Party achieved the largest margin, winning the Bhiwandi seat by 52,015 votes. Congress’s Amin Patel came second in Mumbadevi with a margin of 34,844 votes.
The AIMIM faced setbacks, narrowly winning only the Malegaon Central seat with Mufti Abdul Khalique, who edged out the competition by just 75 votes. AIMIM lost both Aurangabad seats, with Imtiyaz Jaleel narrowly defeated in Aurangabad East.
Other key victories included:
• Abu Asim Azmi (SP) won Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar with a margin of 12,753 votes.
• Sajid Khan Pathan (Congress) claimed Akola West with a slim lead of 1,283 votes.
• Haroon Khan (Shiv Sena UBT) won the Versova seat by 1,600 votes.
Congress, criticized for fielding only nine Muslim candidates despite earlier promises of 18, contributed to vote splitting. AIMIM fielded 12 candidates, the highest among all parties. Analysts also noted Ajit Pawar’s efforts to consolidate minority support for the alliance.
Jharkhand Assembly Results
In tribal-dominated Jharkhand, where Muslims make up a smaller proportion of the population, four Muslim candidates emerged victorious despite a highly communalized campaign by the BJP. The INDIA bloc (Congress and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha) secured 56 of the 81 assembly seats, benefiting significantly from minority votes.
Key victories included:
• Muhammad Tajuddin (JMM) defeated BJP’s Anant Kumar Ojha in Rajmahal by a massive margin of 43,432 votes. Tajuddin secured 140,176 votes, while Ojha received 96,744.
• Irfan Ansari (Congress) won the Jamtara constituency for the third consecutive term, defeating BJP’s Sita Soren by 43,676 votes.
• Nishat Alam (Congress), wife of former Jharkhand minister Alamgir Alam, won the Pakur seat with 86,029 votes, defeating AJSU’s Azhar Islam, who garnered 155,827 votes.
• Hafizul Hassan (JMM) secured the Madhupur seat by a margin of 20,027 votes, defeating BJP’s Ganga Narayan Singh.
The Jharkhand results showcased the consolidation of minority votes and highlighted the critical role of Muslim voters in the success of Congress and JMM.
The elections in both states underline the challenges of achieving fair representation for Muslims and the growing significance of minority participation in shaping electoral outcomes.
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