|
 Muslim count in UP assembly – 2007
By Haider Abbas
The
Milli Gazette
Abstract:
Ever since the start of Hindutva (anti-Muslim) politics in the Hindi belt-UP, since, precisely after the opening of Babri Masjid locks on Feb 1, 1986, Muslims, the second biggest majority in UP have had to face the brunt of anti-Muslim tirades. The two decades has found Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) starting with just 59 seats in 1989 to attain full majority in 1991, followed by a coalition with Bahujan Samaj Party(BSP) in 1995, and, anyhow managing to cling to power until mid-2003. After 2003, Samajwadi Party (SP) came to power and which is the best reservoir of Muslim priorities.
Since the last parliamentary elections of 2004 there has also been a dominant current of Muslims staking claim for political lead within the secular ambit. Muslims made Awami Front in 2004, on the initiation of Parcham Party of India but it crashed even before the elections. Then, on the invitation of Shahi Imam Ahmed Bukhari-United Democratic Front was made and it failed to take any start. Uttar Pradesh United Democratic Front (UPUDF) under SP Ex MLA Yaqub Qureshi made a beginning and became a partner in the SP rebel Member of
Parliament (MP) Raj Babbar’s Jan Marcha. UPUDF, today has one MLA now.
Muslims seem to have after the 2007 results, not given a second hearing to the call of Muslim secular parties like Muslim Majlis, Indian National League, National Loktantrik Party, Peoples Democratic Front, Momin Conference, UDF and UPUDF. None of the parties, except UPUDF could open an account as Muslims stuck with the SP, BSP, Congress, Janta Dal, JD(U), Rashtirya Lok Dal and Samajwadi Kranti Party (SKD). How Muslims became interfaced with the political permutations, while discarding, Muslim oriented parties and what has been the Muslim Count-an all time high, after the results are now being enumerated and
analysed.
The great battle for the Lucknow crown has been done. Samajwadi Party (SP) under Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav has bowed down making way for Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Supremo Mayawati to be sworn in as the fourth time CM. Mayawati has on all the three occasions become CM courtesy Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP).
The results have been baffling. All the exit-polls fell flat on their face and a new social engineering in the name of Brahmin (Upper Caste) Hindus and Dalits (Untouchables) has formulaised as a new beginning in the UP politics. BSP is led by a Dalit Mayawati.
Centuries of subjugation and human indignation of Dalits at the hands of Brahmins has been thrown back and both have now unanimously voted for the Dalit oriented party-BSP. Perhaps, June 21, 1995 is a witness to the day when late Kanshi Ram-the founder of BSP had taken the first step to hug the Brahmin oriented party-BJP and had formed the government in UP. Thus, paving way for ‘no set rules for attaining power’. BSP (is) was also, therefore, known dubiously as a party without manifesto. Mayawati has now fully actualised her mentors thesis with an absolute majority of 206 legislatures. UP is house to 403 seats-the highest in the country even after 22 were deducted to the newly formed state Uttranchal.
The social-enginerring came in the form of 86 Brahmin candidates contesting on BSP tickets. Upper Caste Thakurs stood for 38 seats. And, 40 Brahmins won. 18 Thakurs have won too. Mayawati played her cards well…. On the 89 reserved seats BSP could get the Brahmins transfer their votes and 62 BSP candidates won from the reserved constituencies in UP!
UP, ironically, also enjoys the unique distinction of nations most populated state and is likewise house to 80 parliamentarians as well. No wonder UP has sent more than half-a dozen-Prime Ministers too. Interestingly, Muslims in UP, also make their highest numeric strength. The official presence of Muslims in UP is 18.5%, although, the unofficial figure is nothing short of 25%. The highest percentge of Muslims in India is in Assam.
The presence of Muslims throughout UP, understandably, make them a jackpot and every political party finds the chunk as a decisive factor. A mere shift of Muslims in voting pattern can dismantle any political calculation-as what was seen, yet again, in the elections 2007! It is only Muslims which have paved way for the fourth-time swearing in ceremony of Mayawati.
How Muslims charted the crown for Mayawati, in fact, came out of the cues from the exit-polls results. The Upper Caste controlled media made conscious attempts to anyhow put steam into the already exhausted BJP engine. All exit polls, conspiratorily, therefore, showed that BSP and BJP were to be neck to neck and SP to have been relegated to number three. The objective of the exit-polls was to ‘cry wolf’ in order to streamline the Upper Caste Hindus towards BJP by ‘the fear of (untouchable) BSP’. Upper Caste Hindus, were divided in all BSP, BJP, SP and Congress and knew it very well that BJP
(the main Upper Caste Hindu party) was in total disarray-despite all anti-Muslim rhetoric. Upper Caste stuck to the BSP and voted strategically for BSP in reserved constituencies –in exchange to the Brahmins of BSP. BJP anti-Muslims CD episode could not cut any ice.
SP, however, was found napping and could not thwart the exit-polls malaise. Muslims, the main plank of SP found the tide going tough and changed their strategy, in order to keep BJP at bay-therefore, voted in large numbers, in priority to SP towards BSP. Thus, in return Muslims were able to find 29 Member of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) out of contesting 61 with the BSP denomination-the highest ever!
SP had fielded 56 Muslims and is now represented by 21 Muslims in the assembly. Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD)-run by Ajit Singh came up with 3 Muslims. Uttar Pradesh United Democratic Front (UPUDF) got one and two Muslims won as Independents. Muslims who fared as runners have been most widely divided in BSP and SP too. 17 Muslims came as second on BSP ticket. 21 came second on SP ticket. Congress found six Muslims finishing second, RLD and UPUDF came second on one seat each.
The BSP Muslim candidates, which finished third, are 10. SP got Muslims as third on 9 seats. Congress found presence with 12 seats on third position with a Muslim candidate. RLD made it up with two Muslims. Janta Dal (United), National Loktantrik Party (NLP), Bhartiya Samaj Party (BhSP) and an Independent came as third on one seat each. Muslims which made to the fourth position had Congress on 13 seats, RLD on seven seats, SP on 3 seats, BSP, IMC and Independents on two seats, NLP, Apna Dal, Janta Dal, Samajwadi Kranti Party (SKD), (BhSP), Rashtriya Swantantra Party all on one seat.
How much importance the Muslim vote has can be understood by the fact that officially Muslims make 18.5% of the population in UP. Notwithstanding the (un) official campaign to slash down the Muslim percentage. It takes first to cut Muslim figures during census, and thereafter, anyhow manipulate the data! But, despite all-the size of Muslims, ironically, forced the Election Commission to direct a list of constituencies, in both assembly and parliament-where Muslims make more than 20% for the sake of getting the voters list to be made in Urdu! Voters lists are made in all regional languages.
The number of constituencies where Muslims make more than 20% in UP are a staggering 130! And, 35 seats out of 80 in parliament too! Thus, if UP is the political capital of India Muslims are the ‘prized political capital’ of UP. There can be no doubt that the road to Delhi goes through Lucknow as UP holds the roost and is the undeniable political meter of the country.
The ‘Muslim Count’ in UP assembly 2007 has been the all time high since independence. Muslims made a figure of 56 with various political denominations. In 2002 Muslim legislatures were 46, and, the number of Muslims who came as runners, this time, have been 47! Many of those who lost have been on a very thin margin.
The Election Commission had charted out the elections in seven phases. Bundelkhand -21 seats, Avadh -90 seats, Rohilkhand-50 seats, Lower Doab-72 seats, Upper Doab-67 and Purvanchal-103 seats.
The
following is the list of Muslim Winners in descending order to their
victory margin. The data is based on the election results released –
2007.
|
S.N. |
Winner |
Constituency
(No.) |
Party |
Defeated
(Party) |
Victory
Margin |
Muslim
Count |
|
1 |
M.
Azam Khan
(Retained
2002 seat) |
Rampur
(21) |
SP |
Afroz
Ali Khan (Congress) |
33372 |
1st
& 2nd |
|
2 |
Iqbal |
Chandpur
(07) |
BSP |
Ram
Avtar Singh (BJP) |
30011 |
|
|
3 |
Irfan
Solanki
(Retained
2002 seat) |
Aryanagar
(271) |
SP |
Harish
Majreta (BJP) |
23203 |
|
|
4 |
Ghulam
Waris Ali |
Nanpara
(133) |
BSP |
Jata
Shankar Singh (BJP) |
20526 |
|
|
5 |
Ghulam
M Khan |
Qaisarganj
(130) |
BSP |
Ram
Tej Yadav (SP) |
18027 |
|
|
6 |
Rizwan
Ahmad
(Retained
2002 seat) |
Kaanth
(08) |
BSP |
Abhiney
Choudhry (RLD) |
16128 |
|
|
7 |
M.J.
Ansari
(Retained
2002 seat) |
Leherpur
(62) |
SP |
Anil
Kumar Verma (SP) |
15330 |
1st
& 3rd |
|
8 |
Kazim
Ali Khan
(Retained
2002 seat) |
Swar
Tanda (20) |
SP |
Shiv
Bahadur Saxena (BJP) |
14606 |
1st
& 3rd |
|
9 |
Arif
Anwar Hashmi |
Sadullanagar
(142) |
SP |
Ram
Pratap Singh (BJP) |
12097 |
|
|
10 |
Iqbal
Mahmood
(Retained
2002 seat) |
Sambhal
(12) |
SP |
Rajesh
Singhal (BJP) |
11660 |
|
|
11 |
Sultan
Beg
(Retained
2002 seat) |
Kanwar
(39) |
SP |
B.L.
Verma (BSP) |
11546 |
|
|
12 |
Alauddin
Khan |
Ghairedi
(138) |
BSP |
S.P.
Yadav (SP) |
10517 |
|
|
13 |
Nasiruddin |
Firozabad
(335) |
BSP |
Azeem
Khan (SP) |
10194 |
1st
& 2nd |
|
14 |
Chaudhry
Fasiha Basheer |
Selampur
(189) |
SP |
Margoob
Ahmed Lari (BSP) |
9795 |
1st
& 2nd |
|
15 |
Akbar
Husain |
Kundarki
(15) |
BSP |
Haji
M.Rahman (SP) |
9270 |
1st
& 2nd |
|
16 |
Mohd.
Ghazi |
Afzalgarh
(3) |
BSP |
Indra
Dev Singh (BJP) |
8430 |
|
|
17 |
Zamirullah |
Aligarh
(357) |
SP |
Sanjeev
Raja (BJP) |
7853 |
|
|
18 |
Haji
Abdul Ansari
(Retained
2002 seat) |
Varanasi
North (227) |
SP |
Shiv
Nath Yadav (BJP) |
7225 |
1st
& 3rd |
|
19 |
Mukhtar
Ansari
(Retained
2002 seat) |
Mau
(204) |
Independent |
Vijay
Pratap (BSP) |
7018 |
|
|
20 |
M.
Tabish Khan |
Khesraha
(159) |
BSP |
Divakar
Vikram Singh (SP) |
6989 |
|
|
21 |
Javed
Ansari |
Jaunpur
(238) |
SP |
Tej
Bahadur Maurya (BSP) |
6858 |
|
|
22 |
Taufeeq
Ahmed |
Dumaryganj
(154) |
BSP |
Kamal
Yusuf Malik (SP) |
6676 |
1st
& 2nd |
|
23 |
Abdul
Kalam
(Retained
2002 seat) |
Mehda
Bal (160) |
SP |
Mashoor
Alam (BSP) |
6653 |
|
|
24 |
Arshad
Khan |
Puranpur
(44) |
BSP |
V.A.
Singh (Congress) |
6267 |
|
|
25 |
Abdul
Waris Khan |
Thana
Bhawan (396) |
RLD |
Anoop
Singh (BSP) |
5903 |
|
|
26 |
R.A.
Usmani |
Srinagar
(55) |
SP |
Mayawati
(BSP) |
5722 |
|
|
27 |
M.M.
Siddiqui
(Retained
2002 seat) |
Soraon
(257) |
BSP |
M.
Ayyub (SP) |
5541 |
|
|
28 |
Muslim
Khan |
Usehat
(29) |
BSP |
Bhagwan
Singh
(Janta
Dal United) |
5442 |
1st
& 2nd |
|
29 |
Irshad
Khan
(Retained
2002 seat) |
Sarojini
Nagar (89) |
BSP |
Shyam
Kishore Yadav (SP) |
5414 |
|
|
30 |
Fareed
Mahfooz Qidwai |
Masauli
(126) |
BSP |
Rakesh
Kumar Verma (Samajwadi Kranti Dal) |
5364 |
|
|
31 |
Qadeer
Rana |
Morna
(391) |
RLD |
Rajpal
Singh (BSP) |
4982 |
|
|
32 |
Anis
Ahmed Khan
(Retained
2002 seat) |
Bisalpur
(43) |
BSP |
Ram
Sharan Verma (BJP) |
4936 |
|
|
33 |
Riyaz
Ahmed |
Pilibhit
(41) |
SP |
B.K.
Gupta (BJP) |
4635 |
|
|
34 |
Imran
Masood |
Muzaffarnagar
(403) |
Ind. |
Jagdeesh
Singh Rana (SP) |
3683 |
1st
& 3rd |
|
35 |
Abbas
Ali Zaidi
(Retained
2002 seat) |
Rudauli
(122) |
SP |
Ashok
Kumar Singh (BSP) |
3659 |
|
|
36 |
Asif |
Shahabad
(73) |
BSP |
Baba
Khan (SP) |
3536 |
1st
& 2nd |
|
37 |
Farhat
Husain |
Hasanpur
(10) |
BSP |
Devendra
Nagpal (Independent) |
3507 |
|
|
38 |
Shahid
Manzoor
(Retained
2002 seat) |
Kithore
(377) |
SP |
Virendra
Singh (BSP) |
3425 |
|
|
39 |
Sibqatullah
Ansari |
Muhamabad
(214) |
SP |
Alka
Rai (BJP) |
3386 |
|
|
40 |
Zulfiqar
Ali Bhutto |
Agra
Cantt. (341) |
BSP |
Keshav
Mehra (BJP) |
3375 |
1st
& 3rd |
|
41 |
M.
Aleem Khan |
Bulandshehr
(368) |
BSP |
Mahendra
Singh Yadav (SP) |
3273 |
|
|
42 |
Usmanul
Haq |
Muradabad
Village (18) |
SP |
Ramveer
Singh (BJP) |
3160 |
|
|
43 |
Abdul
Mannan
(Retained
2002 seat) |
Sandila
(68) |
BSP |
Ishrat
Rasool (SP) |
3052 |
1st
& 2nd |
|
44 |
M.
Jamil Khan |
Gonda
(145) |
BSP |
Vinod
Kumar (SP) |
2642 |
|
|
45 |
Dawood
Ahmed |
Pihani
(72) |
BSP |
Ashok
Bajpai (SP) |
2595 |
1st
& 3rd |
|
46 |
Waqar
Ahmed Shah
(Retained
2002 seat) |
Bahraich
(136) |
SP |
Vinod
Tripathi (BSP) |
2534 |
|
|
47 |
Hasratullah |
Kasganj
(331) |
BSP |
Netram
Singh (BJP) |
2372 |
|
|
48 |
Shabbir
Ahmed |
Charda
(134) |
SP |
Savitra
Phoole (BJP) |
1682 |
|
|
49 |
Kaukab
Hameed
(Retained
2002 seat) |
Bhagpat
(385) |
RLD |
Sahab
Singh (BSP) |
1533 |
|
|
50 |
Sajid
Islam Ansari |
Bhojipura
(38) |
BSP |
Bahoran
Lal Maurya (BJP) |
1132 |
|
|
51 |
Saiyada
Shadab Fatima |
Ghazipur
(217) |
SP |
Uma
Shankar (BSP) |
1131 |
|
|
52 |
Yaqub
Qureshi |
Meerut
(381) |
UPUDF |
Laxmi
Kant Bajpai (BJP) |
1089 |
|
|
53 |
Aqueel-ur-Rahman
(Retained
2002 seat) |
Bahjoi
(13) |
BSP |
Bharat
Singh (BJP) |
1009 |
|
|
54 |
Mehboob
Ali
(Retained
2002 seat) |
Amroha
(9) |
SP |
Mangal
Singh (BJP) |
714 |
|
|
55 |
Shahnawaz |
Bijnour
(06) |
BSP |
Bhartendra
Singh (BJP) |
557 |
1st
& 3rd |
|
56 |
Tahir
Husain Siddiqui |
Kamalganj
(295) |
BSP |
Mukesh
Rajpoot (BJP) |
N.A. |
1st
& 3rd |
The
following is the list of Muslim Runners is ascending order to their defeat
margin.
|
S.N. |
Name |
Constituency
(No.) |
Party |
Defeated
by
(Party) |
Defeat
Margin |
Muslim
Count |
|
1 |
Aslam
Raini |
Bhenga
(135) |
Congress |
Daddan
Misra (BSP) |
91 |
|
|
2 |
Ali
Akbar |
Mahsi
(132) |
BSP |
Sureshwar
Singh (BJP) |
441 |
|
|
3 |
M.
Muslim |
Tiloi
(92) |
Congress |
M.S.
Singh (SP) |
457 |
|
|
4 |
Lal
Ameen Khan |
Duriyapur
(164) |
BSP |
Rajendra
Singh (SP) |
519 |
|
|
5 |
Faqir
Siddiqui |
Lucknow
East (85) |
SP |
Vijay
Sagar Gupta (BJP) |
628 |
|
|
6 |
Kamal
Yusuf Malik |
Dumariyaganj
(154) |
SP |
Taufeeq
Ahmad (BSP) |
970 |
|
|
7 |
Waseem |
Gopalpur
(194) |
SP |
Shyam
Narayan (BSP) |
1464 |
|
|
8 |
Imran |
Phoolpur
(198) |
BSP |
A.K.
Yadav (SP) |
1502 |
|
|
9 |
Mujahid
Khan |
Gangirs
(355) |
BSP |
Ram
Singh (BJP) |
1577 |
|
|
10 |
Mumtaz
Ahmed |
Shohratganj
(156) |
BSP |
C.R.Singh
(Congress) |
2192 |
|
|
11 |
M.
Javed |
Itwa
(155) |
BSP |
M.
Prasad Pandey (SP) |
2228 |
|
|
12 |
Babban |
Mugal
Sarai (224) |
BSP |
Ram
Kishan (SP) |
2368 |
|
|
13 |
Azeemul
Haq |
Tanda
(117) |
SP |
Lalji
Verma (SP) |
2455 |
|
|
14 |
Wahab |
Murad
Nagar (373) |
SP |
Ram
Pal Tyagi (Independent) |
3020 |
|
|
15 |
Ishrat
Rasul |
Sandila
(68) |
SP |
Abdul
Mannan (BSP) |
3052 |
|
|
16 |
Babu
Khan |
Shahbad
(73) |
SP |
Asif
(BSP) |
3526 |
|
|
17 |
Imtiyaz |
Syana
(366) |
Congress |
Sunder
Singh (BJP) |
4257 |
|
|
18 |
Anwar
Mehmood |
Utraula
(141) |
SP |
Shyam
Lal (BJP) |
4792 |
2nd
& 3rd |
|
19 |
M.
Ayub |
Soraw
(257) |
SP |
M.M.
Siddiqui (BSP) |
5541 |
|
|
20 |
M.
Aqil |
Muradabad
West (16) |
BSP |
Rajiv
Channa (BJP) |
5589 |
|
|
21 |
Anwar
Ali |
Dadraul
(49) |
SP |
Avdhesh
Kumar (BSP) |
5826 |
|
|
22 |
M.
Naim |
Gauriganj
(106) |
Congress |
Chandra
Prakash (BSP) |
5988 |
|
|
23 |
Masood
Khan |
Tulsipur
(139) |
SP |
K.S.
Yogi (BJP) |
6499 |
2nd
& 3rd |
|
24 |
Mashoor
Ahmed |
Mehda
Bal (160) |
BSP |
Abdul
Kalam (SP) |
6573 |
|
|
25 |
Raeess
Ahmed |
Pratapur
(256) |
BSP |
J.L.
Yadav (SP) |
6756 |
|
|
26 |
Malik
Masood |
Sagri
(193) |
BSP |
S.K.
Singh (SP) |
7004 |
|
|
27 |
Anjum
Rasheed |
Baheri
(40) |
BSP |
C.P.
Singh (BJP) |
7282 |
2nd
& 3rd |
|
28 |
Ziauddin
Rizvi |
Sikandarpur
(208) |
SP |
Sri
Bhagwan (BSP) |
7599 |
|
|
29 |
Arshad
Hasan |
Kairana
(395) |
RLD |
Hukum
Singh (BJP) |
8500 |
|
|
30 |
Haji
M. Rehman |
Kudarki
(15) |
SP |
Akbar
Husain (BSP) |
9270 |
|
|
31 |
Louiss
Khursheed |
Qayamganj
(297) |
Congress |
Kuldeep
Singh (BSP) |
9653 |
|
|
32 |
Marghoob
Ahmed |
Selampur
(189) |
BSP |
Ch.
Fasiha Basheer (SP) |
9795 |
|
|
33 |
Faizan
Ali |
Shahjahanpur
(50) |
BSP |
S.K.
Khanna (BJP) |
10190 |
|
|
34 |
Azeem
Bhai |
Firozabad
(335) |
SP |
Nasiruddin
(BSP) |
10194 |
|
|
35 |
Khalid
Azeem |
Allahabad
West (261) |
SP |
Pooja
Pal (BSP) |
10322 |
|
|
36 |
Alam
Badi |
Nizambad
(196) |
SP |
Angad
Yadav (SP) |
13398 |
|
|
37 |
Athar
Siddiqui |
Fatehpur
(268) |
BSP |
R.S.
Gupta (BJP) |
13494 |
|
|
38 |
Buqqal
Nawab |
Lucknow
West (86) |
SP |
Lalji
Tondon (BJP) |
13815 |
|
|
39 |
Meesam
Rizvi |
Mehoodabad
(60) |
BSP |
Narendra
Verma (SP) |
13817 |
2nd
& 3rd |
|
40 |
Qutubdin |
Seohara
(1) |
SP |
Yashpal
Singh (BSP) |
14878 |
|
|
41 |
Shakir
Ali |
Gauribazar
(185) |
SP |
Pramod
Singh (BSP) |
18057 |
|
|
42 |
Yaqub
Qureshi |
Sardhana
(379) |
??? |
| |
