Like in other parts of Uttar Pradesh, the voters’ support is a mystery in Purvanchal, where all the major parties - incumbent BSP, SP, BJP and Congress — are in the fray.
Like in other parts of Uttar Pradesh, the voters’ support is a mystery in Purvanchal, where all the major parties - incumbent BSP, SP, BJP and Congress — are in the fray. Besides, the CPI, the CPM and the recently sprung up small parties such as Quami Ekta Dal, Peace Party, Apna Dal and Rashtriya Lok Manch can play the role of a spoiler.
Whatever political leaders might be claiming in public but nobody really knows how they would be faring in the polls —150 odd seats of the 403 strong assembly are from Purvanchal.
A key quotient of this puzzle is the Muslim community whose percentage is slightly higher in this region than the overall of about 18 per cent in UP. What is causing uneasiness to the parties is that this sizeable chunk of voters has become silent and is weighing its options.
Polling is only 15 days away in the holy city of Varanasi - a constituency of 8 assembly seats — where the contest is mainly among the SP, the BJP and the Congress.
SP’s Abdul Samad Ansari, who won the Varanasi North seat in 2007, is fidgety. He says: “The BSP never allowed the opposition MLAs to work… The Congress has always used Muslims while everyone is aware of the BJP’s role.”
With delimitation shifting almost half of Muslim voters to Varanasi south, he is banking on polarization of the rest of 65,000 Muslim voters and support from others.
Veteran Urdu journalist Bilal Ahmad Ramnagari says, “As many parties have fielded Muslim candidates the key issue is going to be who can deliver on the development front.”
Mufti-e-Banaras Maulana Abdul Batin Nomani, known for playing a positive role in maintaining communal harmony in Varanasi, said, "Muslims know they have the strength to change the course of these elections. The voting will happen on mainly two issues - who is more sincere to address Muslim issues and keen to solve civic problems." But he does not hide his unhappiness towards the Congress for being inattentive to issues that are hurting the Muslim psyche.
This floating Muslim vote share can fall in SP's pocket if Mulayam Singh does not commit any more mistakes like calling Imam Bukhari of Delhi's Jama Masjid, who earlier gave a call in favour of the BJP, contends Urdu journalist Bilal. He, however, warns that getting distanced from nearly all parties, the Muslims may favour placed independents or candidates of smaller parties.
Sensing people's disenchantment with main political parties, the Left has fielded 55 candidates in UP. It has fielded three candidates in Varanasi. CPI candidate in Varanasi South, Nizamuddin is confident of giving a tough fight.
Muslims in Varanasi feel that the BSP does not have good chances of staging a comeback because of suffering from issues of unbridled corruption, disconnect with people, trying to add to her stature by erecting her huge statues and her administration paying heed only to the Chamar community. For the Muslims she has done nothing, they claim.
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