Daltonganj: In an interesting electoral outcome, Muslim votes, though not directly cast for the saffron party, inadvertently helped BJP candidate Kushwaha Shashibhushan Mehta retain his Panki assembly constituency seat for the second consecutive term.
While Muslims didn't vote for the BJP, their support for Mumtaz Ahmad Khan of the Azad Samaj Party, who secured over 22,000 votes, proved crucial in Mehta's victory margin of about 9,000 votes.Mehta's main challenger was independent candidate Devender Kumar Singh (Bittu Singh), who had been expelled from Congress. Initially, Bittu Singh led by 11,000 votes, with political observers predicting his victory. However, his fortunes reversed dramatically.
Khan's candidature emerged as the decisive factor in Bittu Singh's defeat, effectively helping BJP's Mehta secure another term. According to political analysts, without Khan's presence and the subsequent split in Muslim votes, the outcome might have favoured Bittu Singh.
Congress candidate, Laal Suraj, known until recently as a Hindutva advocate, failed to gain Muslim support. While Bittu Singh enjoyed popularity among Muslim voters, Khan's presence split their votes, ultimately benefiting Mehta, who is perceived as a neo-Hindutva leader. “I won the election. It's people's grace,” Mehta said.