How Muslim vote bank ditched JDS, consolidated in favour of Congress in Karnataka election
1 min read 14 May 2023, 07:46 AM ISTHere's a look at how the Muslim vote bank in the southern state worked in favour of Congress. Catch Karnataka Election Result LIVE Updates on LiveMint.
PremiumThe results of Karnataka election 2023 saw an interesting shift in voting patterns among the Muslim community. Traditionally, the Janata Dal (S) party has enjoyed strong support from Muslim voters in the Old Mysuru region, which has an 11% Muslim population. However, this time, the Muslim vote bank consolidated in favour of the Congress party.
Political analysts attribute this shift to the fear that the JDS might align with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accused of implementing policies seen as discriminatory towards the Muslim community. In contrast, the Congress party promised to restore the 4% reservation for Muslims under the Other Backward Classes category, which had been scrapped by the BJP government.
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The Muslim vote mattered in around 65 of the 224 constituencies in the state, and an analysis of the election data showed that the Congress party was able to win almost half of the 65 assembly seats where Muslims matter. Of the 15 Muslim candidates fielded by the Congress, nine won, while none of the 22 fielded by the JDS were successful. In 2018, five of the seven Muslim candidates who won were from the Congress, while two were from the JDS.
The BJP government in Karnataka has been accused of implementing policies that target the Muslim community, such as banning the hijab in pre-university colleges and passing laws against religious conversion and transportation of cattle in the state. Some BJP leaders have also called for a ban on halal meat in the state.
Also Read: Karnataka Election Result 2023 winners list
Despite the BJP's efforts to polarise the Hindu vote, the Congress party's manifesto promise to ban organisations such as the Popular Front of India and Bajrang Dal appears to have worked in its favour. The Congress won 135 seats in the elections while the BJP won 65 and the JDS won 19.
The Congress party's success in constituencies where Muslims can influence the decision helped it win more seats in regions such as Old Mysuru and Bombay Karnataka. Congress leaders attribute this success to the party's commitment to secularism and its concern for all communities.
