The entry of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) in Uttar Pradesh politics is proving to be a bigger cause of worry for the Bahujan Samaj Party, rather than the Samajwadi Party.
The entry of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) in Uttar Pradesh politics is proving to be a bigger cause of worry for the Bahujan Samaj Party, rather than the Samajwadi Party.
AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, who is now politically active in the state, is eyeing at a Muslim-dalit combination.
In a recent byelection in Bikapur in Faizabad, the AIMIM tested the waters for a dalit-Muslim combination by fielding a dalit candidate in a constituency that has sizeable Muslim voters.
The results were not distressing for the AIMIM. The party ranked fourth but was only 76 votes behind the BJP which came third in the race. The results indicated that the dalit-Muslim combination could prove magical if more time was devoted to this.
The AIMIM has already given a new slogan for the Assembly elections which says “Jai Meem, Jai Bhim”, indicating the new alliance between dalits and Muslims.
“There is a craze among the youth to see and hear the Owaisi brothers. When Mr Asaduddin Owaisi visited the Nadwatul-Ulama in Lucknow during his recent visit, there was a near stampede like situation on the campus. The dalits are also disillusioned with the BSP and are looking for an alternative. If they get Muslim support, they will undoubtedly migrate to another political outfit,” said a political analyst.
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is undoubtedly worried over the erosion in its vote base. The BSP, which has announced a “massive rally” in Lucknow on the late Kanshi Ram’s birth anniversary on March 15, quietly backtracked after getting poor response from dalits.
Sources in the BSP admitted that a large section of dalits is no longer “willing to bend backwards” for the party leadership and it is primarily the importance being given to Brahmins that has made dalits back off from the party.
A party functionary said that the youth among dalits were comparatively more educated and politically aware than the older generations.
“The youth today can understand the political situation and even asks questions. The over-importance given by the party to upper castes in recent years, has irked the youth who feel their vote is being used to promote upper castes. If they veer towards the AIMIM, it should not be very surprising,” the functionary said.
Dalits in Uttar Pradesh have already shown their disenchantment with the BSP in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections when they went en masse with the BJP and the BSP could not win even a single seat.
The AIMIM may or may not win seats for itself but if it works on the dalit-Muslim formula, it could cause extensive damage to the BSP and also make a dent in the SP’s Muslim following.
