Vijayapura: The Muslim community of Sindagi constituency appears to be at the crossroads and facing a dilemma in voting for the right candidate in the bypolls.
On one hand, the community is driven by emotion to vote for the candidate of their community fielded by the JD (S), on the other, it also wants to remain connected with the national party, the Congress.
Several Muslim leaders blame the Congress for creating such a confusing situation for Muslims in Sindagi and elsewhere in the State.
The leader believes that the Congress has been taking votes of the Muslims for generations, but when it comes to giving them their due share in electoral politics, the party neglects the community.
“Many educated Muslims are now raising their voices and questioning the Congress on its contribution to give adequate political representation to the community which has remained loyal to the party for decades. And this question is logical also,” says Dr. Abubakar Mulla, Sindagi Taluk President of Karnataka Souharda Vedike.
In fact many Muslim leaders of the Congress who did not wish to be identified, also feel that pain and accuse the Congress of keeping the Muslims away from the corridors of power in the politics.
“On several occasions we have raised the issues before the party leaders. Though some of them admit that Muslims should have been given greater representation in politics by the Congress, however when it comes to implementing the idea on ground, the same leaders fail to meet the expectations of the community,” says one of the party leaders. He said that when the Congress announced its candidate as Ashok Managuli, the son of late MLA M. C. Managuli, the Muslims leaders, felt dejected.
Sindagi, which has over 20,000 population of the Muslims, plays a decisive role in the elections.
The political analysts believe that after the Congress announcing ticket to a Lingayat candidate, the discontent of the Muslims was felt and grabbed by the JD (S) as the party announced Muslim candidate, Naziya Angadi.
Mohammed Ashfaque, a resident of Sindagi says that now with the Muslim candidate in fray, a section of Muslims believe that it is the right time to send a strong signal to the Congress in the polls by voting against the party.
According to him, the Muslim leaders say that the JD (S) candidate may not win in the election, but the objective here is to tell the Congress how disgruntled the community is with the Congress.
Other Muslim leaders who are associated with the Congress, though are unhappy with the party for not giving ticket to Muslim. However they said that the party leaders have assured them that the sentiments of the Muslims will be acknowledged in the coming assembly polls.
“Moreover what is the point in voting the JD (S) which has fielded a Muslim candidate only to divide our votes. Why should we vote for the losing candidate in the first place,” a leader said.
Amid this, a few Muslims leaders of the Congress, who were also the aspirants for the ticket, wished the defeat of Ashok Managuli in the polls. They believe that if Ashok wins, then he will become a default candidate of the party as the Congress, in all likelihood will offer a ticket to the incumbent MLA. This will decimate the chance of Muslim leaders to seek ticket in the coming assembly elections.
Even if the Congress candidate wins, it will not help the party to form the Government. It will not have any adverse effect on the ruling BJP gove6rnment as the seat was not held by the BJP. If the Congress candidate loses, it will at least give a bargaining power to the Muslims in next polls, one of the Congress leaders said.
