SILCHAR, May 17: With Muslim minority leader Badrauddin Ajmal and his open Muslim Card leading in three out of seven Assembly segments under Silchar LS seat, the one thing that has become ample clear is that, in Silchar, development issue has taken the back seat and religious fanaticism usurped it. Right from the beginning, it was evident that Silchar would see a dual fight between BJP, the champion of Hindus and Ajmal, the self-anointed messiah of the Muslims.
Sontosh Mohan Dev, with the slogan of development, appeared as a lost voice amid the cacophony of religious delirium of AUDF and BJP. The final verdict only put its seal on the inevitable. The incomplete Lumding-Silchar broad gauge and the pathetic condition of the roads of Silchar were an issue of anti-incumbency against the Congress, the party which had its representatives in the Central Cabinet as well as in State Assembly.
Take the instance of Sonai LA segment. AUDF did not field its candidates in 2006 Assembly election though the LA segment had 57.53 per cent Muslim votes. Ajmal had virtually swiped in Sonai, polling with 45,297 votes. Last time the Muslim candidate in Silchar Constituency Anwar Hussain got 25,668 votes in Sonai, the LA segment he represented twice in the Assembly. Dev got 36,713 votes in 2004. BJP’s Kabindra Purkaystha got 25,449 votes in Sonai where Hindu votes constituted 19.77 per cent and tea tribe votes of 13.77 per cent.
This time Purkaystha’s votes had increased to 27,122 whereas Ajmal reduced Dev’s share of votes to more than 25,244, at least 11,000 less than last year.
Similar was the cause in Borkhola. The LA segment had 41.98 percent Muslim and 29.99 percent Hindu votes. Ajmal led in this centre too with 29,981 votes indicating that he had palled maximum Muslim votes and Hindu votes were divided in between Dev who got 21,465 (32,447 in 2004) and Purkaystha 25,134 (25,429).
The figure clearly proved that Purkasyastha’s votes had not increased considerably, but Dev’s votes had undergone a massive erosion. And the only reason was Ajmal’s Muslim card.
Katigorah was another instance. This LA segment had 33.40 percent Muslim and 52.14 percent Hindu votes. Dev got 42.045 per cent votes in 2004 while Purkayastha polled with 31,862 votes. But this year Ajmal topped the list with 38,811 votes, polling maximum Muslim votes. Purkaystha’s Hindu votes had increased by 6,000. But Dev was a super flop in Katigorah, polling with just 19,833 that is 22,212 votes less than last year.
It is an irony of fate that Sontosh Mohan Dev had always been accused of appeasing the Muslims, by his Hindu critics. It was indeed a fact that he was generous towards the minority, particularly after the rise of BJP in the early nineties. But, Muslims always were in a search for a strong candidate of their own. Last time, Laskar in-spite of his notoriety, polled with such votes reducing the margin of Dev’s victory to a mere 20,000 votes. Ajmal, with his money power and influence, was definitely a better choice.
So, the Muslim bloc voted for him. But the irony still persists, as Muslim votes ultimately paved the way for the victory of BJP, the party they brand as Hindu communal one. THE SENTINEL
Sontosh Mohan Dev, with the slogan of development, appeared as a lost voice amid the cacophony of religious delirium of AUDF and BJP. The final verdict only put its seal on the inevitable. The incomplete Lumding-Silchar broad gauge and the pathetic condition of the roads of Silchar were an issue of anti-incumbency against the Congress, the party which had its representatives in the Central Cabinet as well as in State Assembly.
Take the instance of Sonai LA segment. AUDF did not field its candidates in 2006 Assembly election though the LA segment had 57.53 per cent Muslim votes. Ajmal had virtually swiped in Sonai, polling with 45,297 votes. Last time the Muslim candidate in Silchar Constituency Anwar Hussain got 25,668 votes in Sonai, the LA segment he represented twice in the Assembly. Dev got 36,713 votes in 2004. BJP’s Kabindra Purkaystha got 25,449 votes in Sonai where Hindu votes constituted 19.77 per cent and tea tribe votes of 13.77 per cent.
This time Purkaystha’s votes had increased to 27,122 whereas Ajmal reduced Dev’s share of votes to more than 25,244, at least 11,000 less than last year.
Similar was the cause in Borkhola. The LA segment had 41.98 percent Muslim and 29.99 percent Hindu votes. Ajmal led in this centre too with 29,981 votes indicating that he had palled maximum Muslim votes and Hindu votes were divided in between Dev who got 21,465 (32,447 in 2004) and Purkaystha 25,134 (25,429).
The figure clearly proved that Purkasyastha’s votes had not increased considerably, but Dev’s votes had undergone a massive erosion. And the only reason was Ajmal’s Muslim card.
Katigorah was another instance. This LA segment had 33.40 percent Muslim and 52.14 percent Hindu votes. Dev got 42.045 per cent votes in 2004 while Purkayastha polled with 31,862 votes. But this year Ajmal topped the list with 38,811 votes, polling maximum Muslim votes. Purkaystha’s Hindu votes had increased by 6,000. But Dev was a super flop in Katigorah, polling with just 19,833 that is 22,212 votes less than last year.
It is an irony of fate that Sontosh Mohan Dev had always been accused of appeasing the Muslims, by his Hindu critics. It was indeed a fact that he was generous towards the minority, particularly after the rise of BJP in the early nineties. But, Muslims always were in a search for a strong candidate of their own. Last time, Laskar in-spite of his notoriety, polled with such votes reducing the margin of Dev’s victory to a mere 20,000 votes. Ajmal, with his money power and influence, was definitely a better choice.
So, the Muslim bloc voted for him. But the irony still persists, as Muslim votes ultimately paved the way for the victory of BJP, the party they brand as Hindu communal one. THE SENTINEL
1 comment:
I totally agree with your comments and analysis. But that doesn't in anyway ensconce the fact that Mr Dev did nothing for this region in his tenure. He was sitting pretty and thus became a sitting duck, ready to be fired on by the people, through their votes off course.
If had helped in completion of one major work in the Valley, today he would not have been in this position. Taking people/communities for granted, without doing anything for them is his another big mistake mistake. Some lessons need to be learn from this elections by all politicians in our region...
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