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Multiple party options divide the city's Muslim community

The reason for this division ranges from the winning capacity of a candidate and acceptability in the region, to the work done and the anti-incumbency or anger towards the party.

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While there is a lack of 'one voice' among the Muslim community, which is set to vote in the upcoming BMC elections, there are others who have already formed an opinion, but are sharply divided.

The reason for this division ranges from the winning capacity of a candidate and acceptability in the region, to the work done and the anti-incumbency or anger towards the party. The divisions are visible in several wards where the community has the strength to elect a representative on its own and also has a candidate to represent them.

The sharpest divisions are seen in areas where the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) will be contesting the civic elections in the city for the first time. Byculla, Govandi and Mumbadevi are among those areas where both Asaduddin and Akbaruddin Owaisi of AIMIM made debut speeches stating that they wanted to throw away parties like Congress, Samajwadi Party and NCP, who the Muslims have traditionally voted for.

Besides this sharp division, there are also heated debates in Madanpura constituency (ward 211) in Byculla from where Samajwadi Party's ace corporator, Raees Shaikh is pitted against AIMIM's Adil Mubin Qureshi. The Congress and NCP are yet to announce their respective candidates. While some like Imran Farooqui, a 44-year-old voter, and his friend Naeem Mansur feel that AIMIM will take the seat just like it did in the Assembly elections by electing Waris Pathan, when the party opened its account in the city, others like Mirza Abusad Baig feel that the seat will go to Samajwadi Party by all means.

"The Owaisi brothers are well- spoken and their candidate is a local. How much work a candidate will do cannot be predetermined but at least he should be approachable. MIM's chances are good considering the person contesting is a local and his family has been working in the area," said Farooqui.

Baig rubbished the fact that a candidate needs to be a local. "He may be a local but so is Waris. Almost half his term is over and he has not done anything. Forget working, he has not even seen us in all this time. He has neither met people nor done anything for the ward. We voted for Waris thinking he is a local. He is not even approachable. I worked for him but he has not done anything concrete for the ward," said an agitated Baig.

Differences over parties in the community have grown to such an extent that people refrain from talking about these issues in public. "It creates tension in the locality," said a local who did not wish to be named adding, "the cycle, we hear, is likely to do well this year."

However, the issue of the Muzaffarnagar riots, with the SP being blamed for not tackling the issue well, brings people together. "The opinion is not yet made. It is too early. At the end, someone who is considerate towards the ward should be elected," said 60-year-old Lal Mohammed from Madanpura.

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