Karnataka Muslims vow to vote en bloc for Congress; JD(S) falls out of favour

They are not very happy with Karnataka’s ruling Congress, but it seems like Muslims will again throw their weight behind the party in the Lok Sabha election in the state in a bid to keep Hindutva forces from taking power nationally.

And community leaders assert that come what may, Muslims will not vote this time for the Janata Dal (Secular) as it has allied with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Umbrella grouping

The decision has been taken formally by the Karnataka chapter of the Ulema Emreath Shariat, which claims to represent the minority community in a state that is the BJP’s only stronghold in southern India.

The decision comes amid growing concerns over communal polarization and the need to safeguard secular values, and has been conveyed to an estimated 2,000 mosques across Karnataka.

Vote secular

The Muslim group has not openly taken the name of any political party it wants its community to back but merely called for supporting “a secular party” – a widely understood euphemism for the Congress.

Muslim leaders are clear that they are not enamoured of the Congress either but have no choice but to back given that the other two parties – BJP as well as JD(S) -- have become political untouchables.

Misplaced trust?

Although Muslims wholeheartedly backed the Congress during last year’s Assembly elections, there are mounting concerns that the party has not really taken steps to address Muslim grievances.

"Muslims, who form 15 percent of the population in Karnataka, are not happy with the Congress as it did not give much importance to the community,” said a religious leader who did not want to be named.

Hailing Siddaramaiah

“Though we voted for the Congress in the Assembly polls to keep the BJP away from power, our community was not recognized after the party came to office in the state,” he said.

The Muslim leader, however, felt that while Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was keen on protecting Muslim interests, “people around him and in the corridors of power are not allowing him to do so.”

Muslim support

According to U Nisar Ahmed, a former inspector general of police, of the total votes polled by the Congress last year, 30 per cent came from the Muslim community.

But the Congress, after forming a government, did not give much importance to the assurances it made during the elections, he complained.

“It is estimated that 85 per cent of Muslim votes went to the Congress," Ahmed said. In other words, 30 per cent of all votes it got came from Muslims.

He said at least 10 per cent of posts or opportunities in the government could have been given to the Muslim community in recognition to their mass backing.

According to him, even the budgetary allocation for the community assured by the party during the Assembly elections has not been fulfilled.

Unfulfilled promises

In the 2023 election manifesto, the Congress promised a Special Component Plan for the Muslim community. But it not been taken up even for consideration till now, he said.

Ahmed says that Muslims are not considered for the post of chairmanship of any board or corporation except the Bengaluru Development Authority. They are also not named for the Karnataka Public Service Commission.

Another Muslim leader added that while the Congress government was trying to protect the interests of the Muslims on the hijab issue, it did not have courage to take decisive steps.

An Ulema warned that if the Congress remains what it is, the community will explore “other options” in future elections.

Asked about the earlier support for the JD(S), one Ulema was emphatic that this was one party that would not get any Muslim vote this time.

Shun JD(S)

“Not a single vote will be polled for the JDS this time as (former chief minister) HD Kumaraswamy had made open statements against Muslims and is openly committed to the RSS and BJP. It has lost its secular ideology," he said.

"We have sent a message to the community not to support the party this time,” he added.

Soft Hindutva?

However, the Congress focuses on attracting Hindu voters while overlooking the Muslim community which has historically supported it, Muslim leaders added.

Even Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharath Jodo Yathra didn't acknowledge the Muslim community's role in the country’s independence movement unlike other groups, one community leader pointed out.

“This neglect has led to discontent among Muslim voters,” Supreme Court advocate P Usman told The Federal.

Crisis situation

Representatives of the community admit that Muslims, India’s largest religious minority, are facing a crisis of sorts as the country inches towards a parliamentary battle.

The BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been overtly hostile to the community.

BJP aggression

Besides the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, the BJP's rhetoric on several issues has left the community feeling vulnerable.

“That is why we have advised caution against supporting the BJP and called for a secular alternative,” Usman, also an advisor to the Ulema Emreath Shariat, told The Federal.