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THE MATH OF THE MUSLIM VOTE In the 2012 Lok Sabha elections held on 11 and 15 February, in areas with Muslim majority, the SP with 58 seats emerged the winner, while the BJP got 42. Congress
was the second runner up 21 seats while RLD came last with a mere 9 seats. The winners included 16 Muslim MLAs from the SP, 11 Muslim MLAs from the BSP, and 2 Muslim MLAs from the Congress.
This time around, the SP, the BSP, and the Congress are fielding 49, 43, and 9 Muslim candidates respectively from the crucial 140 seats. Of these, 26 seats will witness a face-off between
the Muslim candidates being fielded by the SP and the BSP. A divided Muslim vote here will most likely lead to the BJP’s victory. If, however, they decide to vote as a unit, the seat of
power is up for grabs for any of the major players. _(Shankar Arnimesh is a prominent journalist. Views expressed are the author’s own and __THE QUINT __neither endorses them nor is
responsible for the same.)_