Division in Muslim votes helped BJP in civic polls?

THE Muslim voters, who had consolidated en masse in favour of the Samajwadi Party in 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, threw up a surprise in the recently-concluded urban local body (ULB) polls by using their discretion over their support to parties including SP, Bahujan Samaj Party, Congress and Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Musalmeen (AIMIM).

- NAMITA BAJPAIL

However, the division in Muslim votes has helped the ruling BJP in registering an emphatic win in UP civic polls. In fact, the SP, which had enjoyed over 80 per cent of minority vote consolidation in its favour during the Assembly elections, taking its tally from 47 to 111, had faced a stiff challenge from AIMIM in certain constituencies dominated by minorities, especially in western UP.

In the recently concluded UP ULB polls, Muslims showed a shift from the SP towards the AIMIM, BSP and Congress, going against SP's traditional 'MY' (Muslim-Yadav) factor.

"Through their voting pattern, Muslims have conveyed the message that their support cannot be taken for granted. They have come out of traditional realm to vote for other parties of their choice," says Dr SK Dwivedi, former HoD, Political Science department of Lucknow University.