Muslim candidates fielded by parties for Gujarat municipal elections

Candidates of AIMIM are contesting for the first time in the election for Gujarat's six municipal corporations. Here is an account of Muslim candidates fielded by AIMIM, BJP, Congress, NCP and AAP.

Ahmedabad: Campaigns for Gujarat’s six municipal corporations is in full swing. For the first time, candidates of AIMIM have entered the election fray besides those of the BJP, Congress, NCP and Aam Aadmi Party. Here is an account of the Muslim candidates fielded by all political parties in the civic body polls.

Highest number of Muslim candidates in Ahmedabad

While the BJP has not fielded any Muslim candidate in Ahmedabad, not even from Muslim majority areas, the Congress has given ticket to 26 Muslim candidates. The two parties to enter the election fray for the first time, Aam Aadmi Party has fielded 19 Muslim candidates and the AIMIM has fielded 60 candidates of the community.

In Surat, where BJP has been in power for the last 25 years, they have not fielded even one Muslim candidate. Surat is a cosmopolitan city where people from different states live and is therefore called ‘Mini India’. The population of Muslims in Surat is seven lakhs. One ward in Surat is such where Muslim votes play a decisive role. This is the reason why Congress gives representation to the Muslim community in every election.

However, the BJP, which has been in power in the civic body for the last 25 years, has not fielded even a single Muslim candidate so far. The seven lakh population of Muslims is spread across areas like Begampura, Salabatpura, Rustampura, Mahidharpura, Anjana, Limbayat, Rander.

In a major relief to the Congress, the AIMIM, which entered the poll fray in Gujarat for the first time, decided not to field any candidate in the Surat municipal corporation election. There has been one-sided voting of the Muslims in favour of the Congress in these wards.

The Congress had fielded ten Muslim candidates in the last civic body election in 2015 and this time too it has fielded 11 Muslim candidates. The BJP has been fielding candidates based on caste, who would challenge Muslim candidates of the Congress in these areas.

16 out of 28 candidates are Muslim in Vadodara

Like in Surat, in Vadodara too, the BJP has not fielded any Muslim candidate. In 2015, Congress had fielded one Muslim candidate from Ward No 7 and he had won the election. Congress has repeated him this time. There are 16 Muslim candidates of various political parties in Vadodara.

Congress, AAP field Muslim candidates in Bhavnagar

While BJP has not fielded a single Muslim candidate, just like last time, Congress has put up six Muslim candidates and the Aam Aadmi Party, which has entered the election fray for the first time in Gujarat, has also put up six candidates out of the total 39 candidates who are contesting the civic polls. The NCP has also not fielded any Muslim candidate.

31 Muslim candidates contest from different parties in Jamnagar

In Jamnagar, Congress has given ticket to 11 Muslim candidates, in which four of them are contesting for the second term. Surprisingly, BJP has fielded five candidates from the minority community this time.

Caste equations emphasised in choice of candidates

In Jamnagar, BJP and Congress have fielded candidates of the minority community in areas where the community has a strong presence. Aam Aadmi Party has put up 11 candidates. The Bahujan Samaj Party too has fielded five candidates of the minority community.

In Rajkot, Congress has fielded three Muslim candidates, AAP two while BJP has not given a ticket to any Muslim.

Different communities get represented in the election. Accordingly, Congress has fielded three Muslim candidates in ward number 15. Maqbool Habibbhai Daudani is contesting for the second term. Babubhai Theba from ward No 16 and Yunus Juneja from ward No. 2 have been given ticket for the first time by Congress. Aam Aadmi Party has given ticket to two Muslim candidates in Rajkot.

BJP has not given ticket to a single Muslim candidate

While Congress has fielded three Muslim candidates and Aam Aadmi Party to two Muslims in the Rajkot municipal corporation polls, BJP has not given ticket to any Muslim nominee though in the last election it had given ticket to Sofiaben Dal who had won. This time, she too was denied ticket by the BJP.