Will Muslim voters in Gujarat vote for Owaisi: Ground report

The historical past thus far is such that the combat within the Legislative Assembly elections in Gujarat has at all times been between the 2 principal events BJP and Congress. This is the primary time {that a} third social gathering because the Aam Aadmi Party is collaborating in such a major method. Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM social gathering can be fielding candidates on a number of seats this time.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), headed by MP Asaduddin Owaisi, has fielded candidates throughout 14 seats within the meeting elections. Of these, 12 candidates are Muslims. Since two seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes, the social gathering has fielded a Hindu Scheduled Caste candidate there.

All India Majlis-e- Ittehadul Muslimeen social gathering will contest with 14 candidates in gujarat meeting election 2022.
Inshaallah they are going to win with a great margin.@asadowaisi pic.twitter.com/VUyu2KfocJ

— AIMIM KASBA-58 (PURNEA) (@aimim_kasba_58) November 18, 2022

AIMIM and MP Asaduddin Owaisi are infamous throughout the nation for his or her communal politics and controversial statements. We tried to search out out the influence of his communal politics on the minds of Muslims in Gujarat by speaking to native Muslims in among the above-mentioned seats.

Owaisi’s assembly has been canceled as the group didn’t collect in Danilimda.

The AIMIM has fielded a lady named Kaushika Parmar for the Danilimda seat, which is taken into account to be a Muslim majority in Ahmedabad however reserved for scheduled castes (SC). Shailesh Parmar of the Congress has been elected as an MLA for the final 4 phrases. This time too, the Congress has fielded its sitting MLA. AIMIM has fielded Kaushika Parmar as a Hindu Scheduled Caste candidate from the seat.

It is value mentioning that Shailesh Parmar has obtained the backing of a Muslim strongman household dwelling contained in the Shahalam Darwaza in Danilimda. Therefore, he has been constantly elected by getting Muslim votes. This is similar space the place Muslims had fatally attacked safety personnel and police within the title of anti-CAA protests and on the cost of which many individuals have been detained together with native corporator Shahzad.

Congress has been successful this Muslim-dominated seat for the final 20 years with the assist of the Muslim group. This is the primary time within the type of AIMIM {that a} Muslim social gathering is difficult them from right here. In this regard, OpIndia went to Danilimda and tried to know the opinion of native Muslims.

On Friday, November 18, our group reached a tea store referred to as Fakira close to Pir Kamal Mosque in Danilimda. There are at all times 100-150 folks sitting right here and a lot of them are Muslims.

Near Pir Kamal Mosque, Danilimda

Speaking to OpIndia, an area man named Sohail, who works as an electrician, gave his opinion. He stated, “In Danilimda, things happen the way that Shahzad Baba says. Owaisi will not work here.”

Speaking additional, Sohail stated, “A few days ago, Owaisi had a meeting in Danilimda, but he had to cancel the meeting and leave as there were no people gathered for the meeting. Who will vote for those whose meetings are not attended by people?”

Another individual named Farid Mohammad Atari stated, “There is talk among Muslims that Owaisi is not the leader of Muslims. He is a BJP-RSS agent. So no Muslim will vote for him.”

Apart from this, our group spoke to many individuals whose responses have been largely just like the above-mentioned ones. Also, one factor was prominently observed. Since this seat was reserved for scheduled castes, right here the AIMIM had fielded a Hindu girl. If this seat have been regular and there was a Muslim male candidate from AIMIM, maybe there would have been a distinction within the response of the folks and the result of the election.

A battle of Chhipa vs Chhipa in Jamalpur

Ahmedabad’s Jamalpur seat can be a Muslim-dominated meeting constituency the place Imran Khedawala of the Congress is at the moment an MLA and this time he’s additionally the Congress candidate. Here too, AIMIM has fielded its personal candidates. Gujarat AIMIM state president Sabir Kabuliwala has been made the candidate of Owaisi’s social gathering right here.

Ahmedabad’s Jamalpur seat is dominated by Chhipa Muslims, which is a caste of Muslims. The historical past thus far is such that Chhipa Muslims have given route to the politics right here with their votes. In 2012, Congress fielded one other Muslim, Samir Khan Sipai, who was a Pathan, as an alternative of the Chhipa Muslim right here. Sabir Kambliwala, who belongs to the Chhipa group, had filed his nomination as an unbiased candidate right here. And the complete Chhipa group got here collectively and gave him over 30,000 votes and in consequence the Congress candidate misplaced to BJP candidate Bhushan Bhatt by simply 6000 votes.

The Team of OpIndia reached the well-known Lucky Tea Stall in Jamalpur. Here we tried to search out out for the native Muslims. In a dialog with OpIndia, Ajaz Akhtar Sheikh, who does a non-public job, stated, “This time there is a battle of Chhipa versus Chhipa in Jamalpur. Imran Khedawala of the Congress and Sabir Kabuliwala of the AIMIM both come from the Chhipa community.”

Lucky tea stall in Jamalpur

He additional stated, “These two leaders have a good influence over their community and it is not possible to know from now on whom the society will vote for them. But one thing is certain whatever votes Kabuliwala gets will be in his own name and not in the name of AIMIM. Because in the past, he has got more than 30,000 votes even by contesting independently.”

Another individual, who didn’t want to be named, stated that on the day earlier than polling in each election, fatwas are issued by the Chhipa group as to whom they are going to vote for. And the candidate named within the fatwa is sort of sure to get the votes of the complete group. Now it stays to be seen whom the group helps on this combat between two Chhipas.

A person named Anas Patni instructed OpIndia, “AIMIM will not do well anywhere in Gujarat. It will only work to break a few votes of Congress. This will only benefit the BJP.” We tried to speak to many different Muslim residents however most of them have been avoiding speaking to us and expressing their opinions.

What is the Owaisi impact in Surat?

Apart from Ahmedabad, AIMIM has additionally fielded candidates for 2 seats in Surat. These two seats are Surat East and Limbayat. Both these seats have a sizeable Muslim inhabitants.

OpIndia had not too long ago reported that Owaisi had confronted opposition from Muslims throughout a public assembly at Surat East seat. When Owaisi got here to talk on stage, some Muslim youths protested in opposition to Owaisi with slogans of ‘Modi-Modi’ and ‘Wapas Jao, Wapas Jao’.

Owaisi greeted with ‘Modi, Modi, Modi’ & ‘Go Back’ slogans in Surat. pic.twitter.com/BTHl2hDrco

— News Arena India (@NewsArenaIndia) November 14, 2022

This is just not the primary time that Owaisi has been opposed by the Muslim group in Gujarat. Earlier in May, members of the Muslim group had gathered in Limbayat in Surat to protest in opposition to the AIMIM chief, who was on an election tour.

In the Limbayat Mithikhadi space of Surat metropolis, the youth of the Muslim group staged a black flag protest in opposition to BJP, RSS brokers, AIMIM nationwide president, and MP Asaduddin Owaisi.#bjp #rss #aimim #social gathering #muslimcommunity #surat #information #newsupdate #gujarat pic.twitter.com/qhKz12TBE1

— Our Surat (@oursuratcity) May 23, 2022

During the protest, folks referred to as Owaisi an agent of the BJP-RSS. And not solely surat however a big part of Muslims throughout Gujarat imagine that Owaisi is working as an agent of the BJP. This was additionally coming to mild within the floor analysis by Opindia.

AIMIM removes Bapunagar candidate to assist Congress

There is discuss within the Muslim group that Owaisi is an agent of the BJP and the RSS and his social gathering is the B-team of the BJP. It can be prevalent amongst Muslims that AIMIM has come to assist the BJP by breaking the Congress vote in Gujarat.

On the opposite hand, the AIMIM candidate from the Bapunagar seat in Ahmedabad, Shahnawaz Pathan, has withdrawn his candidature to assist the Congress candidate. Now will probably be harder for the Muslim group to resolve whose B-team Owaisi and AIMIM actually are.

Apart from this, the locals don’t imagine that Owaisi will be capable to make any massive influence even within the seats the place AIMIM has fielded candidates. So now it stays to be seen whether or not the Muslim group of Gujarat will truly reject Owaisi’s communal politics or observe the ‘Aapna Wala Hai’ rule on the final second.