– Md. Sami Ahmad
Patna, April 17: The representation of Muslim candidates in Bihar’s Lok Sabha elections has significantly decreased from 15 candidates in 2014 to just 5 candidates in 2024, particularly from established political parties rather than independents.
In the previous 2014 general elections, 15 Muslim candidates were contesting across the state’s 40 Lok Sabha seats. However, this number has now dropped to only 5 for the current 2024 elections.
In the 2019 general elections, out of the 9 Muslim candidates nominated by recognized political parties, only one candidate from the Congress, Mohammad Jawed, emerged victorious from the Muslim-dominated seat of Kishanganj.
Out of the 5 Muslim candidates in the current 2024 elections from the INDIA and NDA blocs, four are contesting from Seemanchal seats, where the Muslim population is substantial. The remaining one candidate is contesting from Madhubani, where the RJD has fielded Mohammad Ashraf Ali Fatmi, a former Darbhanga MP.
The INDIA bloc’s Congress has nominated two Muslim candidates this year: Tarique Anwar from Katihar and Mohammad Jawed from Kishanganj. Mohammad Jawed is the incumbent MP from Kishanganj, while Tarique Anwar is a former MP from Katihar. Shahnawaz Alam, representing Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), has been nominated from the Araria Lok Sabha seat. He is the son of the late Taslimuddin, who was also an MP and minister.
The NDA has only one Muslim candidate in the current elections, representing Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) party. Mujahid Alam, a former MLA, is contesting from Kishanganj.
In contrast, in the 2019 general elections, the RJD fielded candidates such as Sarfaraz Alam, Abdul Bari Siddiqui, Syed Faisal Ali, Hina Shahab, and Tanvir Hasan, among others.
Overall, the decline in Muslim candidature from prominent political parties in Bihar’s Lok Sabha elections raises concerns about the representation and participation of the Muslim community in mainstream politics.
