Karnataka: Despite BJP’s Hate Campaigns, Number of Muslim MLAs Up From 7 to 9 

The most interesting part is the winning of Kaneez Fathima, the lone Muslim woman candidate for Congress who had led huge protests against the hijab ban while B.C. Nadgesh, the education minister in the Bommai Cabinet, who enforced the hijab ban in educational institutions, failed to retain his Tiptur seat 

Waquar Hasan | Clarion India

NEW DELHI — Despite several attacks on Muslims in the name of cow protection and the hate campaigns against the hijab and halal launched by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its affiliates preceding the Karnataka assembly elections this month, the minority community has increased the tally of its elected representatives from 7 in 2018 to 9 in the state.

All of these nine MLAs are from Congress, which fielded a total of 15 Muslim candidates across the state. In the outgoing assembly, Congress had five Muslim MLAs as against two of Janata Dal (Secular). This time around, the party of former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda fielded 22 Muslim candidates but none of them was victorious. The BJP did not field any Muslim candidates this time around as it did in 2018.

Muslims roughly account for 13% of the state’s population and Muslim votes are a crucial factor in about 65 of the 224 constituencies. An analysis of the election data showed that Congress secured almost half of the 65 seats where Muslims matter. 

Political pundits and pollsters claim that 88 per cent of Muslims voted for Congress.

The data provided by the Election Commission shows that out of the nine victorious Muslim candidates, seven registered their win defeating their nearest BJP rivals and two won against Janata Dal (Secular). In Chamrajpet, a locality in the central part of Bengaluru, Zameer Khan of Congress won by the highest margin of over 50,000 votes against BJP’s Bhaskar Rao.

The most interesting part is the winning of Kaneez Fathima, the lone Muslim woman candidate for Congress who had led huge protests against the hijab ban while B.C. Nadgesh, the education minister in the Bommai Cabinet, who enforced the hijab ban in educational institutions, failed to retain his Tiptur seat.      

The massive victory of Congress with 135 seats in the 224-seat assembly, is also being seen as a befitting response to the hate politics unleashed by the ruling party against Muslims and Christians. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi described the assembly election results as the victory of love over hate.

The BJP government in the state enforced discriminatory policies, allowed hate campaigns and either abetted attacks on minorities or turned a blind eye towards them during the last few years. The hijab ban in colleges and schools is one of the most glaring examples in this regard. Hijab-clad Muslim girls were hounded, disrobed and humiliated. Besides, Hindutva groups were allowed to campaign against halal products and launch economic boycott of Muslims.

Muslim vendors were prohibited from selling their merchandise near temples and Hindu fairs. Interfaith couples were also targeted. The government brought in laws against conversion and cow slaughter. Even during the election campaign, the BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi promoted a controversial movie ‘The Kerala Story’ to target the community.

It is widely believed that the overt and covert BJP’s anti-Muslim policies forced Muslims to rally behind  Congress. Other parties like AIMIM (All India Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen) and SDPI (Secular Democratic Party of India) also did not win any seats. AIMIM contested two seats and secured only 0.02 per cent of the votes polled. The SDPI – the political outfit of PFI – met a similar fate as all of its 16 candidates failed to open their accounts.