Before Uttar Pradesh polls, Congress at sea over Muslim quota

With just a few months to go for the crucial Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, the Congress is grappling with the sensitive issue of demand of reservation for Muslims.

The socio-economic backwardness of the community and the competing promises offered by other parties make the task complex for the party.

“It is easy for other parties to make lofty promises, because they can always blame the central government led by the Congress later. However, the Congress has to be very careful while taking any position on such an emotive issue,” party spokesperson Rashid Alvi said.

Though the constitution does not provide for reservations on religious basis, the backwardness of Muslims as highlighted through various reports is a cause for political concern. Congress manifestoes have ritually paid lip service to this cause by promising all out efforts to remedy the situation.

Realists within the party point out that the problem is not as complex as it is projected. “The fact is that 70 per cent of the Muslim community is covered under the definition of the other backward castes (OBCs), and they already have 27.5 per cent reservation. 

In an effort to find a politically viable solution with an eye on the elections, the Congress could come up with a promise on the lines of the provision of 4 per cent reservation for the Muslims from the backward castes in Andhra Pradesh.