memri
January 8, 2014 Special Dispatch No. 5592

Indian Newspaper Report On Oppositionist Party Policy Paper: 'The Surge Of Regional Political Parties Of Muslims Reflects A New-Found Confidence In The Minority Community In Organizing Politically With The Community's Interests In Mind'

January 8, 2014
India | Special Dispatch No. 5592


Muslim women voters in India

Ahead of the 2014 parliamentary elections in India, the opposition nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is seen as being anti-Muslim, is seeking to gain support from a number of small political parties which have emerged in recent years with the goal of protecting Muslim interests. The BJP is a strong contender to unseat the secular Congress party, which has been heading the federal government in Delhi for the past ten years.

According to a report in India's The Sunday Standard, the BJP has published a document which takes note of small Muslim-interest parties which have registered some presence in different regions of India. The document, titled "Rise Of Regional Muslim Parties," is being studied by BJP leaders to evolve their strategies and capitalize on the Muslim electoral situation. Muslim political parties cannot determine the outcome of elections, but their support sometimes becomes consequential, especially when major parties fail to win adequate seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha, the lower house of Indian parliament.

BJP is seen as being anti-Muslim, though there are a number of Muslim leaders in its ranks. Its anti-Muslim image is largely rooted in the demolition of the Babri mosque in the northern Indian town of Ayodhya in December 1992 and the 2002 anti-Muslim riots in the Gujarat state, where the BJP government is headed by state chief minister Narendra Modi, who is officially the prime ministerial candidate of BJP for the next parliamentary elections.

Following are excerpts from the Sunday Standard report:

"[BJP, Which Hardly Gets A] A Share Of Minority Votes, Is Looking At The Other Emerging Players In The Electoral Field – The Smaller Muslim Political Parties"

"[India's nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, which hardly gets a] a share of minority votes, is looking at the other emerging players in the electoral field – the smaller Muslim political parties. A document prepared by a BJP think tank… has analyzed the growing influence of these parties, their electoral achievements, and the lessons it offers for the next battle [at the 2014 parliamentary elections].

"The document, 'Rise Of Regional Muslim Parties,' has been circulated to BJP leaders on this recent emerging trend to formulate their strategy for the crucial 2014 Lok Sabha [parliamentary] elections. The document details the rise of regional parties like the Peace Party of India which won four seats in the last [northern Indian state of UP or] Uttar Pradesh 2012 assembly elections, Quami Ekta Dal which won one seat in UP, and the All India United Democratic Front (AUDF) which won 18 assembly seats in [the north-eastern state of] Assam elections, cornering 12.57% of the votes polled.

"'In Tamil Nadu, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, won two assembly seats in the 2011 assembly elections; Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen won 8 seats in the 2009 [southern state of] Andhra Pradesh assembly election, and even boasts of an MP [member of parliament],' the document, published by BJP thinktank Public Policy Research Centre (PPRC), states.

"The BJP, which has been desperately eyeing the Muslim votes as the party is preparing a separate vision document for the minorities, is keenly watching the growth of these parties and even making attempts to woo the community. A successful example of this strategy came when 200 Muslim members of Peace Party, including its general secretary M. J. Khan, joined the BJP in August this year in the presence of [BJP] party chief Rajnath Singh.

"As the stage is set for the 2014 elections, the question that everyone is debating but no one appears to have a clear answer to is which way the Muslim voters will make the decisive choice.

"The [ruling] Congress, with its welfare-ist measures and liberal doles to the minority community, is laying claim to the largest chunk of their votes to keep BJP, particularly their prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, at bay. The Hindi heartland [northern Indian] socialist parties, Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, are also aggressively wooing the minority votes, especially in Uttar Pradesh which has the highest chunk of 80 Lok Sabha [parliamentary] seats."

"Muslims, Who Constitute Close To 15 Percent Of India's Population, Play A Vital Role In Over Three Dozen Lok Sabha [Parliamentary] Seats"

"Muslims, who constitute close to 15% of India's population, play a vital role in over three dozen Lok Sabha seats. With significant presence in other constituencies, they can change the electoral mathematics. Explaining these trends for the BJP, the document said though there has been a rise of the regional Muslim parties, a similar party at the national level has been discouraged as a strong section of Muslims felt that the move could 'aid the BJP's agenda of Hindu vote.' 'The surge of regional political parties of Muslims reflects a new-found confidence in the minority community in organizing politically with the community's interests in mind,' the policy paper added.

"The trend holds importance for the BJP as traditionally Congress, SP [Samajwadi Party], and BSP [Bahujan Samaj Party] have been cornering large chunks of Muslim votes, but with these parties they could at least become game-changers in many Muslim-dominated constituencies. And if not win elections, at least get a fair share of votes.

"The other political parties discussed in detail in the policy document include Welfare Party of India, launched in April 2011 with backing of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind; Social Democratic Party of India, set up in 2009, that won several municipal seats in [southern states of] Karnataka, Kerala (14 seats), and Tamil Nadu (62 seats) local body elections; Quami Ekta Dal, a party with 'huge influence in eastern UP and one of the allies of Third Front along with Peace Party'; Rashtriya Ulema Council, set up in 2008 in aftermath of Batla House encounter [between police and Islamic terrorists in Delhi].

"Giving an example of the growing power of these smaller players, the document states the instance of the Jangipur Lok Sabha by-poll in 2012, from which President Pranab Mukherjee's son Abhijit Mukherjee contested elections. Abhijit won the seat by merely 2,500 votes. Two Muslim political parties, WPI and SDPI, together polled 66,274 votes, thus indicating their influence.

"Talking about the document, BJP ideologue and director of PPRC, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, said, 'The issue is important as in a secular polity although faith-based parties are not illegal, one can't ignore the impact of their existence….'"

Source: The Sunday Standard (India), December 8, 2013. The original English of the report has been mildly edited for clarity and standardization.

Share this Report: