Mumbai: Certain Congress leaders are contemplating whether it was the right decision to go again with the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) this time too.
Many Congressmen confessed that while the decision to be part of the coalition may eventually lead them to power they point out that being part of the MVA have cost them both their traditional Muslim voters and Muslim party workers dearly.
A case in point is the Shiv Sena’s (UBT) first list which does not have a single Muslim face as a candidate in it. “What is the point of this alliance?” fumes a Congress leader on conditions of anonymity. “While all of our Muslim voters have been voting for the Sena we haven’t got any of their Marathi voters voting for our candidates! Our Muslim votebank has diminished.”
He gives an example of the South Mumbai Lok Sabha seat won by Sena’s Arvind Sawant due to the Muslim votes from Byculla and Mumbadevi alone.
Another Congress leader points out that Sena is also ‘encroaching’ in their territory. “On Wednesday there was a gathering of many Muslim leaders and representatives specially from Mohalla committees at Islam Gymkhana in Mumbai to discuss the upcoming strategy. Almost 90 percent of guests in this gathering were Shiv Sainiks,” the leader says. “The Muslim organisations and members of civil society asked the Shiv Sena (UBT) workers why there is no representation to the community despite the Muslim voting for the party.”
A Congress insider claims that many Muslim party workers are leaving the party. “We used to have a large number of Muslim workers from Vidharbha and Marathwada who used to work with us.
They are now shifting their allegiance to other parties specially the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi.”
A senior Congress leader says the party will suffer in Mumbai by giving away its strongholds.
Nizamuddin Rayen, spokesperson for Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC), rubbishes all rumours of discontent amongst the Congress regarding the MVA pact. “The adjustment is happening in a good way, although lot of party workers may be angered with the way things are going, but the leaders will surely explain it to them.” He says the Muslims need not be worried by this as they are sure to get representation in the polls.
Nadeem Nusrath, General Secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) points out that through this alliance, the Congress has primarily been able to convey and demonstrate in very clear terms that secularism, liberty, freedom of expression and upholding in spirit and Constitution is the way forward in Indian polity.
“The Congress has been able to demonstrate in earnest that right wing political parties have accepted the fact that BJP, RSS is very narrow and parochial in its approach to Indian politics. Political power at all costs is their only dictum, to run this democracy.”
“When the people give their unconditional support to Congress, the internal dissatisfaction in the party becomes the primary and only spoiler,” says Nusrath.
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