'Not A Single Ticket' to Muslims: Cracks in Congress Out in Open After Maharashtra Leader's Letter

Mumbai: In what could be seen as trouble for Congress ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, a senior Maharashtra party leader Muhammed Arif ‘Naseem’ Khan stepped down from the party’s campaign committee, expressing displeasure over party's decision of not nominating a single Muslim leader in the state.

He addressed a letter to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge where he stated that he won’t further campaign for the polls as the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) bloc, which includes Congress, had not fielded any candidate from the minority community.

“From total 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, MVA has not nominated a single Muslim candidate in Maharashtra,” the miffed Congress leader wrote. 

“Why is there no candidate from the minority community this time? If I go to the people to canvas for votes, they will ask me questions that I don’t have answers to. Hence, I have decided not to campaign for the third, fourth and fifth phases of elections,” he added.

'Congress Wants Muslim Votes, But…'

He further claimed of being asked by the party leaders and workers that 'Congress ko Muslim vote chahiye, candidate kyun nahi (Congress wants Muslim votes, but why not candidates).”

Earlier, the former state minister also said, “Congress’ ideology since inception has been to take everyone along, regardless of community or caste.” 

“There is a lot of anger among people belonging to the minority community or associated with organisations linked with us. as there is not one Muslim (Opposition) candidate across the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state. I am upset, too, as the Congress, going back to its founding days, has been known to take everyone along, regardless of whether they are Muslims, OBCs, Marathas, SCs or STs,” said the Congress leader.

Khan was hoping a ticket from Mumbai North Central, but the Congress fielded city unit president Varsha Gaikwad for the constituency instead, triggering disappointment for him.  

He had contested the 2019 assembly elections from Chandivali in Mumbai, where he lost by 409 votes.

Sanjay Nirupam Exposes Congress

Sanjay Nirupam, former Congress leader who left the party recently over ticket distribution, also expressed his displeasure and said that despite so much loyalty, Congress has not given a single Muslim candidate in this Lok Sabha election. 

Taking swipe at the Congress party, he said that it's not the first time Muslims have been sidelined from electoral politics by the grand old party.