Bihar polls: Just 35 Muslim candidates fielded, highlighting underrepresentation
Patna: A political controversy has surfaced in Bihar ahead of the assembly elections, with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and other parties facing allegations of marginalising Muslim candidates in the allocation of party tickets.
Only 35 Muslim candidates have been fielded across parties, even though Muslims constitute nearly 17.7% of the state’s population. The RJD and Congress, two key allies of the INDIA bloc who project themselves as advocates of Muslim representation, have together fielded 28 candidates from the community, as reported by The New Indian Express on Sunday.
The RJD, contesting 143 seats, has given tickets to 18 Muslim candidates, while the Congress, contesting 61 seats, has fielded 10. The CPI(ML)-Liberation has nominated two, while the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) led by Mukesh Sahani, another INDIA bloc partner, has fielded none.
In the NDA camp, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) has nominated four Muslim candidates out of the 101 seats it is contesting. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) led by Union Minister Chirag Paswan has fielded one Muslim candidate among its 29 nominees, while the BJP has not given any ticket to Muslims.
Muslim representation in the Bihar Assembly has fluctuated over time. Between 1990 and 2020, it averaged around 8%. The 2020 Assembly had 19 Muslim MLAs (7.81%) in the 243-member House, while the 2015 House had 24 Muslim MLAs (9.87%), one of the community’s highest levels of representation, added the report.
Political analysts quoted in the report note that the decline in Muslim representation reflects both shifting party strategies and changing alliance structures. They trace the community’s political realignment to the aftermath of the 1989 Bhagalpur riots and the Ram Rath Yatra, which weakened Muslim support for the Congress. RJD chief Lalu Prasad subsequently positioned his party as a political home for Muslims and other marginalised groups, building a durable support base on a platform of social justice and inclusive empowerment.
However, analysts suggest that secular parties now exercise caution in distributing tickets to Muslim candidates, fearing polarisation of votes that could benefit rival parties.
The 243-member Bihar Assembly will go to polls in two phases on November 6 and November 11, with the results set to be announced on November 14.
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Pawan Hans helicopter crashes into sea off Mayabunder, All on board safe
Mayabunder: A Pawan Hans helicopter crashed into the sea near Mayabunder in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Tuesday morning.
The helicopter went down about two kilometres away from the helipad at around 9:45 am. All persons on board are reported safe.
The cause of the incident is not immediately known, and further details are awaited.
Pawan Hans officials said necessary protocols were initiated following the incident.
