A Muslim Problem For Congress After Maharashtra Poll Defeat | Analysis

The Congress party is facing a peculiar problem after the Maharashtra poll defeat - how to balance the Hindu and Muslim cards. During the Maharashtra assembly election, the BJP accused the Congress of bowing down to the demands of the All India Ulema Board and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind. The BJP alleged that the Congress accepted 10 demands of the Board which included banning RSS and granting reservation to Muslims. This aided momentum to the 'Batenge to Katenge' slogan already propagated by the saffron party leaders. The icing on the cake for the BJP was 'Ladki Bahin Yojana'. While the Congress party allegedly tried to unite the Muslim voters, the BJP managed to unite the Hindus and it reflected big in the election results. 

In the recently concluded Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Delhi, while Rahul Gandhi asked for action against responsible persons, Mallikarjun Kharge hinted at 'tough decisions'. The Congress leaders agreed that the Maharashtra defeat holds a message for the party and it needs to be analysed thoroughly. The Congress party is now looking to find a middle path where they can talk about minorities' welfare while not upsetting or sending a wrong message to the Hindu voters. 

Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi had not fielded any Muslim candidate in Maharashtra during the Lok Sabha polls. The Muslim voters taught the Congress a lesson in the assembly elections with the grand old party winning just 13 of the 38 seats where Muslim voters hold an influence. Amid this, the Congress is facing a fresh challenge in Telangana. With Muslims comprising over 12% of Telangana’s population—nearly half of whom reside in Hyderabad—the Revanth Reddy government faces mounting pressure to address grievances and avoid further erosion of its minority support, which is now shifting towards regional parties like All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen. 

The Congress government is reportedly also under scrutiny over undelivered promises such as increasing the minority welfare budget and implementing a subsidy scheme for minority youth. The proposed Musi Riverfront development project has alarmed residents, as it threatens to displace thousands of families, many of whom belong to the Muslim community. The opposition BRS has capitalized on this, promising free legal aid to affected residents, further putting Congress on the defensive.

Opposition parties, particularly the BJP and BRS, are using these issues to weaken Congress’s position. While the BJP sees Telangana as a potential foothold in the south, the BRS is positioning itself as a more effective advocate for Muslim interests, claiming to have done more for the community during its tenure.

In Telangana, the Congress government currently has no Muslim MLAs in the assembly. There is growing speculation about whether the Congress should send a strong signal to Muslim voters in Telangana by appointing a Muslim MLC and offering them a ministerial position. This move could be a strategic step, especially with two significant elections—Delhi and Bihar—on the horizon next year.