Muslims to prevent split in secular votes

Muslim social organisations and political outfits have planned to launch a mass scale mobilising campaign in Rajasthan to prevent split in votes.

In the days following the filing of nomination papers for the assembly elections, Muslim social organisations and political outfits have planned to launch a mass scale mobilising campaign in Rajasthan.

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Feeling the need to select a “non-communal, non-corrupt and secular candidate”, and partly on account of a divided opinion within the community over direct participation in the elections, Muslim organisation Jamat-e-Islami Hind, Rajasthan has decided to evaluate the worthiness of a candidate and take the “chosen one” to the people.

National vice-president of the Jamat-e-Islami Hind, Maulana, Mohammad Shafi said that the organisation has sought co-operation from other Muslim outfits in the State for arriving at a consensus to vote for a candidate in the constituency.

“We would be screening the names of the contenders on the basis of their affidavits submitted before the Election Commission and based on the input of our organisation members and the workers in the respective constituencies,” he said.

Over the past weeks, the Rajasthan Muslim Front and the Indian Union Muslim League have announced their decision to field candidates in the forthcoming election.

“The Muslim forum would ensure that the votes are not divided. That is why, screening becomes important for that would eliminate any confusion over the candidate we want to vote,” said Jamat-e-Islami Hind, Rajasthan, state president and forum member, engineer Mohammad Salim. The organisation did not come up clearly on which party it would be supporting in the elections.

The outfit made it clear that it is averse to the BJP for its communal mindset though it did not give Congress a clean chit either. “The Muslims have their share of reservations against the Congress. There are complaints that need answering,” said Salim.