Muslims vote against ‘divisive’ politics

New Delhi: Safety, peace and development were the three main factors that were considered by Delhi’s Muslims when they came out to vote on Saturday. Several members of the community admitted that they would vote “strategically” to defeat divisive politics, while affirming that Aam Aadmi Party had gained their confidence over the past five years.
In most Muslim-dominated belts in Chandni Chowk, northeast and east Delhi, AAP emerged the clear choice, especially among women who lauded the party for providing electricity, water and healthcare at subsidised rates.
“Over the last five years, there have been noticeable changes in the basic infrastructure in the health and education sector in our area. Our country can be strong only when we have an educated government, whose priorities reflect the aspirations of the common people,” said Farheen, who cast her vote in northeast Delhi’s Seelampur where Chowdhary Mateen Ahmed of Congress is fighting a new AAP candidate, Abdul Rehman. The BJP candidate is Kaushal Mishra.
Some people, however, hinted that Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the communally charged campaign became reasons for a slight shift towards Congress, which was the only party to take a strong position against the “discriminatory” law.
“We need a strong leader right now, who would not be afraid of becoming our voice. Addressing basic necessities is important, but the fight is for survival right now. We need someone who is not scared of lathis,” said 41-year-old Mohammad Yasin Khan. A divide was visible within the men as well, with those younger than 30 supporting “politics of change”.
At Seemapuri, 24-year-old Faizan, who is preparing for civil services, said his vote “had nothing to do with national issues.” “We may support a prominent national party in Lok Sabha, but in these elections only local issues matter. And only one party has spoken about their plan for Delhi,” he added.
The highly polarised environment was not lost on the candidates either. In Chandni Chowk, AAP’s Parlad Singh Sawhney was contesting against Congress’s Alka Lamba, who had supported the anti-CAA protests at Jama Masjid when she arrived to lend support to Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad late in December. And some voters said they still remember that image.
At Ballimaran, former environment minister Imran Hussain was against Congress veteran Haroon Yusuf. Despite getting nearly 60% of the votes in 2015, Hussain hoped to race ahead as many in Old Delhi were supportive of Kejriwal.
All five polling stations at Shaheen Bagh, which has been a hub of anti-CAA protests, were declared “critical” by Delhi’s Chief Electoral Officer. As voters lined up for long hours to exercise their franchise, they made their discontent with CAA apparent and said they voted for “development”.
Nida Shaheen, a first-time voter, said, “AAP is doing a lot for improving the quality of education in government schools and healthcare facilities through mohalla clinics. No state government in Delhi ever thought about these issues before.”
At Jamia Nagar, Zubeda Sheikh reiterated Shaheen’s words. She pointed out the poor sanitation condition in the area due to negligence of the municipality, which is governed by BJP. “Our councillor is putting his best efforts, but unless the municipal staff works efficiently one can’t expect the situation to improve,” she added.
Abeeda and her daughter had reached a polling booth in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar to vote for “peace”. “This was the first time that I was not dictated by my husband or family to cast my vote. I feel strongly for a cause and dragged my daughter along with me. I am against polarisation of votes. I want peace to prevail,” she added.