In Bihar, the battle for Muslim votes intensifies

A heightened battle for Bihar’s Muslim votes has seized the state’s seven Lok Sabha constituencies going to the polls on April 24 as the minority community has a sizeable presence in these parts and will play a decisive role in the poll outcome.

In an atmosphere polarised due to hard-hitting campaigns by all the parties and candidates in the fray, Muslim voters in the constituencies of Araria, Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnea, Bhagalpur, Supaul and Banka are said to be in a dilemma over their electoral choices and the possible consequences of these on their areas and lives.

On Sunday, senior Muslim leader Akhlak Ahmed quit the RJD and joined the BJP in Patna and the saffron party found another reason to claim that neither the BJP nor its PM nominee Narendra Modi were an anathema for Bihar’s Muslims. They also claimed that Muslims would vote for the BJP candidates overwhelmingly.

Muslim voters hold the key in four of the seven constituencies – Kishanganj with nearly 70 per cent Muslim voters, Araria (45 per cent), Katihar (30 per cent) and Purnea (23 per cent). In Bhagalpur, Muslims account for 20 per cent.

Courtesy: The Asian Age