Two ulemas elected to Parliament after 60 years

In a major development in Muslim politics in India, two ulemas or religious leaders have made their entry into the Lok Sabha, after a long gap of 60 years.

The last time the Parliament witnessed such an event was when Maulana Hifzur Rahman Seoharwi and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, both India's stalwart freedom fighters, served as elected representatives.

Assam United Democratic Front candidate Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, who beat his Congress rival Anwar Hussain in Dhubri and Maulana Asrarul Haq Qasmi, who beat his Rashtriya Janata Dal rival Muhammad Taslimuddin in Kishanganj, Bihar, are both Deoband alumnis.

According to an article by M Burhanuddin Qasmi, Maulana Asrarul Haq Qasmi is a prominent Muslim scholar and president of Delhi-based All India Talimi Wa Milli Foundation.

The article quoted Qasmi as saying that his victory was the victory of the people.

The AUDF, which was formed in 2006, won a landslide victory in Dhubri and polled more voted across the state than the Assom Gana Parishad.

Qasmi points out that most of the dozen or so Muslim outfits formed right before the 2009 Lok Sabha polls sank without a trace. This clearly indicates that no party can sustain only on the basis of a 'community-driven agenda', he argues.

The Majilis Ittihadul Muslimin, led by Asaduddin Owaisi, has managed to retain the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat.

Significantly, the AUDF has eaten away the votes of the Congress is Assam, which ended up losing four of its earlier strongholds in the state.

Qasmi argues that the writing on the wall is clear. Muslims can no longer be treated merely as a vote bank, but as a force to reckon with in national politics.