Muslim India

Samajwadi Party’s Abu Asim Azmi and (below left) Mohd Ali Shaikh from the Bahujan Samaj Party

Angry with the Congress for not giving tickets to Muslims, and for not accommodating Muslim candidates from other 'secular' parties, a section of the city's ulema on Saturday resolved to work for the defeat of the Congress-NCP combine - unless it declared the names of at least five Muslim candidates from Maharashtra by April 2.

The meet, called by Maulana Ather Ali of the All India Ulema Council, who had contested as a Samajwadi Party candidate in the 2004 Assembly polls, also vowed to ensure the victory of the two prominent Muslim candidates from Mumbai: the Samajwadi Party's Abu Asim Azmi, standing from Mumbai North West, and the BSP's Mohammed Ali Shaikh, contesting from Mumbai South.

Maulana Ather Ali criticised the lone Muslim candidate put up by the Congress in Maharashtra - A R Antulay. He was too old; his own MLAs were against him, and he had done nothing for Muslims, he said.

On the one hand, said Ather Ali, the Congress had fielded Antulay; on the other, it had spurned Amar Singh’s request that the Mumbai North West seat be left for Abu Asim Azmi, to prevent a split in the 'secular vote'. This, despite the fact that the Congress had no strong contender there.

Meraj Siddiqui of the Samajwadi Party exhorted the ulema to use their clout in the community. For starters, they could use the Friday sermon to hammer home the importance of voting instead of staying home on polling day. He also held up the BSP as a role model. For years Kanshiram kept fielding BSP candidates, knowing they would not win. But he ensured the defeat of the ruling party, till every ruling party was chastened into asking for the BSP's support. About 50 imams from masjids across Mumbai attended the meet held at Islam Gymkhana.

But beyond the rhetoric, lie two harsh facts: a section of the ulema, led by Maulana Dariyabadi, general secretary of the Ulema Council, have decided to go with the United Democratic Front led by Maulana Ajmal. Secondly, privately, many ulema admit there's little chance of the BSP candidate Md Ali Shaikh winning Mumbai South.

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BOTH ABU ASIM AZMI AND MOHAMMED ALI HAVE DEEP GRASS ROOT SUPPORT IN THEIR CONSTITUENCIES AND DESERVE TO BE ELECTED TO LEAD MUSLIM CAUSE IN INDIAN PARLIAMENT. THEIR VOLUNTARY COMMITMENT TO THE WELFARE OF AAM AADMI IS WIDELY KNOWN AND ACKNOWLEDGED. 

GHULAM MUHAMMED, MUMBAI