Karimnagar, July 26: Muslims in Telangana districts are in a dilemma about who to vote for, principally because the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, whose pro-Telangana stance most would naturally support, has joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is seen as communal.
Muslims are a force to reckon with in half of the 12 Assembly segments going for in for a bypoll on July 27. More than 18 per cent of the population in Vemulawada, Sircilla and Korutla constituencies in Karimnagar district is Muslim and their vote can change the fortunes of candidates.
Muslims in rural areas are sailing with the TRS and in many villages with a large Muslim presence, they have participated in the Joint Action Committees formed to take forward the Telangana issue.
“Our support for the Telangana cause must continue irrespective of the TRS joining hands with the BJP. This election is different and Muslims should understand the predicament in the correct perspective,” said Mr Ilias, a tractor driver in Dharmaram village in Dharmapuri constituency.
However, in urban areas and among more educated sections of the community, there is a different view. “Muslims should remember that KCR (TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao), immediately after the 2009 elections, went to Mr L.K. Advani to extend his support to the National Democratic Alliance. We can’t see the bypolls in isolation. TRS, by joining hands with the BJP, will only strengthen the communal forces in the State,” said Mr Imtiaz, a typist in Karimnagar.
During the regime of the late YSR, villages with large Muslim populations received priority in the release of funds and development work. Based on that, elders in the Muslim community are still supporting the Congress in a big way. In many villages it was evident that while the younger generation is going with the TRS, the old and more educated are strongly attached to the Congress.
Religious leaders, too, are sceptical about the future course of the TRS which they term as an unreliable political party when it comes to political ideology.
“He (KCR) is known for his tricks. One day he organises a big show praising the Nizam’s rule and the next day he rushes to meet BJP national leaders, extending his unconditional support to them. This double talk of KCR is known to everybody and nobody believes him,” said Mr Shabbir Ali, a senior Congress leader.
The Congress is trying to rope in important religious leaders, as is the TD, in order to counter the wave of support for the TRS atleast in six constituencies.
-Agencies