Unease over no Muslim Congress LS nominees
MUMBAI: Two senior Muslim leaders of the Congress have voiced their discontent over the party’s decision not to nominate any minority candidates from the state this time. They include Naseem Khan, the working president of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, and Zakir Ahmed, the general secretary of the state Congress.
Khan has resigned as a star campaigner and as well as from the state committee of star campaigners and announced that he will not campaign for the party.
Previously an MLA from the Chandivali constituency, Khan was defeated in the previous election by Dilip Lande from Shiv Sena. Having been a minister and a minister of state in the past, he reportedly expressed interest in contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Mumbai North Central.
However, t he Shiv Sena (UBT), lacking a candidate, relinquished the seat to Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad. This move came after the Shiv Sena (UBT) unilaterally announced Anil Desai as their candidate for Mumbai South Central, which caused consternation for Gaikwad, given her roots in Dharavi. In an effort to maintain harmony with the Mumbai Congress, the Shiv Sena (UBT) offered the Mumbai North Central seat to Gaikwad.
Khan criticised the MVA for not nominating any Muslim candidates in the state, leading to discontent among minorities, Congress leaders, and workers. He emphasised the importance of representation for all castes and communities in Maharashtra, highlighting that the Congress had previously nominated one or two minority candidates.
Khan highlighted the demographic significance of the Mumbai North Central constituency, with its sizable minority population of 6.50 lakh and a Hindi-speaking community of two lakh. He revealed that the party had initially decided to field him as a candidate for this constituency, but his name was not announced by the party.
He recounted his extensive travels across various states including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Karnataka, Telangana, Goa, and Maharashtra during his campaign efforts. Khan expressed concern that constituents would question why no minority candidate had been nominated, leaving him without a response. Consequently, he decided to abstain from further campaign activities.
Zakir Ahmed, the general secretary of the state Congress said, “I can see very angry reaction in the state as the Congress has not given ticket to any minority. Many Muslim organisations and congress men are angry.’’
State Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe refrained from commenting. Meanwhile, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) spokesperson Clyde Crasto suggested that there are still some seats available for consideration.
People are bound to ask me why no minority candidate has been fielded, so I have decided to abstain from campaigning NASEEM KHAN Working Prez, Pradesh Cong Comm