As Telangana goes for elections on November 30, vigorous campaigning and political showdowns have started, the Congress campaign in the state has been targeted at Muslims, they have claimed that there are secret talks between BJP and BRS with an “unholy alliance” between them.
The Congress Focus on Minority!
This time in Telangana, the Congress is trying to re-play its Karnataka model and if it is successful it would then extend it in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
In the last assembly elections held in Karnataka in May 2023, the Congress party got the maximum support from the Muslim community, despite the high-voltage Hindutva pitch by BJP. Earlier, the BJP benefitted in Karnataka due to the split of the Muslim votes between the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) but in the May 2023 elections, the majority of the Muslims, who were earlier voting for the JD (S) candidates, voted for the Congress, helping it come to power with a comfortable margin.
Speculations are high that with a population comprising 13% Muslims, Telangana’s electoral landscape could witness a significant shift in the upcoming Assembly elections. This is attributed to some estimates that suggest Muslims exert influence in approximately 45 of the 119 state seats.
The Congress, which once had a significant share of this demographic before the bifurcation of Telangana from Andhra Pradesh, has this year sought to link the BJP with the BRS in its campaign rhetoric.
KCR and Owaisi chorus!
Traditionally, in Telangana, Muslims have inclined towards the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) or what was previously known as the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), along with its ally, the AIMIM led by Asaduddin Owaisi.
For the last two assembly elections in 2014 and 2018, after the formation of separate Telangana, the Muslims had supported the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, which championed the cause of a separate state. Though the All India Majls-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) led by Asaduddin Owaisi was initially apprehensive that the formation of Telangana might lead to the growth of the BJP, it later realized that the BRS led by K Chandrasekhar Rao would protect the interests of Muslims and Asaduddin Owaisi openly appeals to the Muslims to vote for BRS, wherever AIMIM is not contesting.
Even though BRS lacks notable Muslim figures within its ranks, it is relying on leaders from the AIMIM, namely Asaduddin Owaisi and Akbaruddin Owaisi, in addition to the welfare initiatives provided by the BRS for minority communities, in order to secure their votes in the upcoming polls.
On the other hand, Congress has former minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir in its ranks though he will be confined to his Kamareddy from where CM K Chandrasekhar Rao is fighting along with Gajwel seat.
The Congress is also emphasizing to the Muslim community that it was their administration that introduced a 4% quota for Muslims in both education and employment. In contrast, KCR made a promise to raise this quota to 12 percent but was unable to fulfill it. This message seems to resonate strongly with the Muslims in Telangana. Apart from it Congress is banking on the secular image of the party and its capacity to defeat the BJP in Karnataka, despite the latter raising issues like hijab and halal, Muslim quota being withdrawn and ‘Jai Bajrang Bali.
Yet, a recent survey has revealed that 60 percent of the Muslims of Telangana are still supporting BRS.
“Educated and elite Muslims have shifted towards the Congress, while rural Muslims who are beneficiaries of government schemes, are supporting KCR,” an analyst said, adding that if there is any change in the mindset of the rural Muslims, the Congress will sweep the polls.
Will Muslims act like a Vote Bank only!
Political analyst Prof K Nageshwar said Muslims vote strategically for candidates who can defeat BJP. If Congress increasingly becomes the key challenger to the BJP in the country, they may look towards the grand old party. However, he made it clear it is too early to say Muslims would shift support from KCR-led BRS, which has a secular image, but the possibility cannot be ruled out.
“The situation was different in Karnataka as there was a direct fight between Congress and BJP, and Muslims moved from JD(S) to Congress,” he said.
However, it is yet to see how these speculations turn out on the eve of the elections. The stance of the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) regarding the Centre’s proposed Unified Civil Code bill, and whether it will soften or continue its assertiveness towards the BJP, along with the electoral partnership between the AIMIM, are pivotal factors influencing the lead-up to the polls.
Amidst all the speculations in the charged-up electoral atmosphere of Telangana, the market of allegations and counters is running rife.
Ministers KT Rama Rao and T Harish Rao have consistently urged the public to recognize that the Congress and BJP share similar ideologies. Conversely, Congress figures like TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy and Nalgonda MP N Uttam Kumar Reddy are actively highlighting what they perceive as a covert alliance between the BRS, BJP, and AIMIM.
In contrast, Asaduddin Owaisi points out that nearly all instances of communal unrest in the city occurred during Congress-led administrations, emphasizing that there has been no such incident in the nine years under BRS governance.
On the other hand, according to earlier reports, the BJP has announced that they would remove the 4%reservation being given to Muslims and accused the BRS of appeasing the minorities, saying that the steering of the BRS is in the hands of Asaduddin’s AIMIM.
