AIMIM Arrival Increases Muslim representation in Mumbai Municipal Corporation: The 'Votes Will Split' Theory Demolished

It was repeatedly being said that AIMIM's entry would hurt Muslim representation as the community's votes would further be divided.

But, on the contrary, the representation of Muslims has gone up in a big way in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the results of which have been announced.

There were 23 Muslim corporators in BMC in the last corporation. After AIMIM's entry, the figure has gone up to 28.

That's a sharp increase in Muslim presence in the corporation in India's biggest city.

Some news reports said that 31 Muslims won LINK. However, the figure seems to be 28, now. Muslim population in Mumbai is nearly 19%.

The representation was earlier 10%. Now, it has gone up to 12.3%. Surprisingly, even Shiv Sena's two Muslim candidates won the election.

Congress and NCP have fared badly. Yet, it is their Muslim candidates who had far better winning rate.

MIM could win just three seats though it performed much better in Amravati and Solapur civic bodies.

Clearly, the myth about split in votes that had kept Muslims worried for years, has been broken--at least in Mumbai.

In fact, the results again show that Congress and other parties were not giving adequate tickets to Muslims, and were unable to even shift their non-Muslim votes for Muslim candidates. 

What's behind Shiv Sena's attack on BJP, the poster war between parties: The upcoming Mumbai civic body elections

Shiv Sena has released a series of posters attacking the BJP.

Sena is known for sharp, blistering attacks no rivals, but these posters mock BJP and PM Narendra Modi.

Sena shares power in Maharashtra with the BJP. Still, it comes up with posters that target BJP for failing to take care of farmers.

The first poster is about BJP's election promises before it won Lok sabha election and the farmers' suicides, now. The second targets Sakshi Maharaj, the BJP MP, for forcing a girl to unbutton her jeans.

There are many more posters. Besides, there are Rupesh Patil's caricatures that term BJP government as 'suit-boot and loot ki sarkar' to calling Modi a 'traitor'.

Shiv Sena fighting for its survival in Maharashtra politics

But what's the reason behind the Sena's sharp attack? It's for survival. In the Assembly election, Sena didn't perform too well and BJP's vote share rose dramatically in Maharashtra.

This alarmed the Shiv Sena and though it later joined the BJP to form a government, ever since it has been attacking the BJP off and on. The Sena is worried that its bastion, would fall, as BJP and Shiv Sena have the same voter.

Besides, the most crucial--Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election is slated next year. If Shiv Sena fails to win Mumbai corporation [BMC], it will be a big jolt for Sena.

If Sena loses Mumbai civic polls, it would lose its influence in State politics

BMC has a huge budget--more than many state governments in India, and its the Shiv Sena's muscle power along with financial strength that it derives from the here, that helps it stay afloat in Maharashtra politics.

Hence, Shiv Sena can't afford to lose Mumbai. It can't allow itself to be a junior partner and cede even Mumbai, because, that would be the end of the Sena as a regional power. Once, it was big brother in Maharashtra, today BJP calls shots in the alliance.

No wonder, the Sena is desperate, attacking the BJP. The situation is such that 'snake', 'cat', 'dog' are being used by them to describe each other. The BMC election will take place in February 2017. The slugfest may turn even more bitter in coming months.

SEE all the posters at THIS LINK & at THIS LINK

Maharashtra Mess: Blame Congress' Politics, Not Just Shiv Sena-MNS

While Shiv Sena has been criticised from all quarters for dividing the society on linguistic and regionalistic lines, the role of the supposedly responsible Congress and its strategy hasn't got enough attention.

In fact, the party is again back to its old style of dangerous politics: Procrastinate, panic and pander.

Congress is at the helm at the Centre and in Maharashtra and no where elections are due in near future. But still, it has chosen to remain inactive.

Threats to Hindi speakers, North Indians, letters to cinema hall owners and actors are all in public domain. There are evidences sufficient to take action and prosecute the culprits who are dividing the society.

In case of any ordinary citizen issuing a mildly irresponsible statement, section 153 (A) of Indian Penal Code is applied. Ordinary citizen who breaks law a couple of times gets booked under NSA or is externed. 

Why no action has been taken against Sena? Who stops the Congress? The party is simply playing politics. Clearly, it enjoys the sight of Shiv Sena and MNS fighting and taking the fascistic rhetoric up in their tussle to score over each other, as it helps the party in the longer run.

Else, in a situation of such constitutional breakdown where MLAs are beaten up in Assembly for taking oath in Hindi and threats are openly issued, the government should have taken sternest measures. Both Raj and Uddhav should have been charged with such sections.

Two small parties, none of which is in power in a state, are running the state by proxy through terror and hooliganism. In a situation when even BJP has opposed Sena, Congress' silence could would shame any responsible political outfit.

Its chief minister, Ashok Chavan, recently issued a similar diktat about Marathi to taxi drivers. Though it was withdrawn after Delhi's intervention and Chavan 'clarified' what he meant, the truth is that Congress must get more blame for the crisis, than the small recalcitrant outfits--Sena or the MNS. What was the need for such a statement?

What the Maharashtra unit of party merely says is, 'we will take action'. Nonsense. What action and when. You can't provide security or lock up rowdies. Theatre owners themselves remove posters of Shahrukh Khan's movie, fearing trouble. So where is the government that was elected to provide security?

When the distrust among communities would reach a higher level and if things would take a nasty turn, it will start pandering to both sections. That will further create a divide. This has been the style of Congress until 90s. In Sonia Gandhi's first term, the party seemed changing the direction but now it's back to its old role.

AND IN AZAMGARH: SIMILAR STORY

Congress leader Digvijay Singh reached Azamgarh and said that he had his doubts about the Batla House encounter. It's again a similar story. Firstly, it was the Congress-led UPA government that was at the helm when the incident occurred.

In any case of police encounter, judicial inquiry is held. Congress is also the ruling party in Delhi. But the Delhi police affidavit in the court, contesting the demand for inquiry and the Lieutenant Governor's refusal to give nod for the probe, are proof of the party's position.

Doesn't the Delhi police function under Chief Minister Sheila Dixit? And because Muslims in UP have alternatives--BSP and SP, the party lets its national general secretary Digvijay Singh state that the encounter was held in suspicious circumstances.

It's crystal clear that the Congress is fast getting back to its old culture when it couldn't bear the sight of a communist government and got it toppled, when it didn't like the idea of Akalis ruling Punjab and in order to grab this small state created a frankenstein, Bhindranwale, and when the situation went out of hand, went for the unfortunate Operation Blue Star.

Don't redress the issue in the beginning and let the wounds fester until it reaches critical stage--that's the Congress style. Hindus were upset due to killings in Punjab, so the Ram temple issue was given a fresh lease of life.

As Muslims got angry, Congress tried to assuage their feelings in Shahbano case. Now Hindus were more angry. The party put India's social fabric at stake. It dind't want to take a blame. It neither fought Hindu right-wing movement, nor acepted its mistake. It didn't order firing or keeping the premises secure.

Ultimately BJP and Mulayam Singh Yadav became the aggressors and the defenders respectively while Congress cleverly exited the state. But the party and the country paid price. And it took it two decades to recover for Congress but once again, it's back to its past political style.

The party could have contained MNS in the beginning but it used Raj's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena to cut into Sena's vote. Now both fight an ugly battle and India suffers. We blame Australians for the attacks on Indians in Oz.

But can we take action and keep our house in order? Sometimes one does feel that had there been no Gujarat carnage and the arrogance & non-repentence of party leadership in the state, Muslims won't have returned to the often-arrogant Congress' fold in such hurry.

In the end Congress remains Congress.

Shiv Sena's win in Mumbai BMC elections and Maharashtra Muslims' frustration with Congress

Now that Shiv Sena has taken a lead along with its coalition partner over Congress, NCP and other parties, Muslims in Mumbai would surely be in a reflective mood.

A big section of Muslims would be happy that 'Congress-NCP ka ghuroor, ho gaya chakna-choor'. Such headline we might see in Urdu newspapers on Saturday.

The manner in which Congress government treated Muslims, the majority of Muslim populace was angry.

The midnight swoops and searches, arrests and allegedly biased manner in which Muslims were targeted after Mumbai and Malegaon blasts while the Bajrang Dal activists were allowed to go scot-free, had turned Muslims bitter.

Till last minute it appeared that Muslim vote would be divided. Most were unwilling to vote for Congress as they wanted to teach it a lesson [how many times!].

Some may have changed mind after Thackeray's statements against Islam just a few days back. However, the so-called third front comrising Samajwadi Party, RPI and other small parties, got lot of Muslim votes.

This is evident with the win of SP in half-a-dozen constituencies by afternoon, as per trends. There may be the feeling that Shiv Sena is a known enemy so it's better to have such a party than Congress, which always 'stabs in the back'.

But, Muslims, must realise that they can't be hostage to any political party. They are neither slaves of Congress, nor they need to be afraid of Sena. All parties are equal in this game of stoking communal fire and from Bhagalpur to Gujarat and Bhiwandi, Congress and BJP/Shiv Sena are no different when it comes to communal riots.

Yes, the difference may be in rhetoric. Bal Thackeray speaks unlike Congress-walas who are sophisticated but plan something that hurts more deeply like not letting Muslims get into jobs etc etc. Wouldn't it have been better if Muslims had directly spoken to Shiv Sena-BJP and bargained for something when they really wanted to defeat Congress!

Time is not lost. In the next election Muslims can surely do it. I am no fan of BJP-Shiv Sena. But Maharashtra Congress has failed Muslims badly. It doesn't implement the Sri Krishna Commission Report.

Why not play the game as per rules of the game. When we have to vote, we should do that judiciously. Congressmen are no saints. The 1993 riots did not occur just because of Shiv Sena-BJP but because of the then Congress Chief Minister Sudhakar Rao Naik, who ensured that the police did not intervene and side with the goons.

Let's bargain and vote overwhelmingly for the one who promises to at least listen to us. It is not that the Mumbai residents have voted for Shiv Sena and its anti-Muslim plank. It is the clear division of Muslim votes and lack of tactical voting coupled with the failure of NCP and Congress to do a tie-up, which has resulted in this fractured mandate.

And Muslims knew this would happen but their lack of any strategy has made it look like a 'victory for the anti-Muslim forces' and the 23 lakh Muslims are now sitting on the fence. Haven't Muslim made a fool of themselves when they could have been the king-makers.