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Thursday, July 17, 2008
Most Muslim MPs may vote for deal
Despite Opposition hopes that Muslim MPs might find it difficult to vote for the N-deal with an ‘anti-Islamic’ Bush administration, it is becoming clear that the vast majority of them will be back ing the govt in the confidence vote on July 22.
Of the 37 Muslims MPs, 26 are in parties that are part of the UPA or have openly declared their support for the government in the trust vote, while 11 are with anti-deal parties like the CPM, BSP, BJP or JD(U). TOI spoke to most of them on Wednesday and found that there’s hardly any who see the issue as having anything to do with the community.
Most, on both sides of the divide, affirm that they will abide by their party’s stand, those against the government dubbing the deal harmful to the country’s interests and those in favour asserting that it would serve India’s objectives.
What is particularly interesting is that an avowedly Muslim party like the Muslim League in Kerala is firmly in the progovernment camp and even Asaduddin Owaisi of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) seems likely to stick by the UPA, though he said, “MIM will take a decision...on July 19 after consultations with party chief Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi.” Also, of the two parties Kashmir parties, Mehbooba Mufti from the PDP has committed her support to the government, while Omar Abdullah’s National Conference too appears to be veering around to throwing its weight behind the deal.
There are some exceptions though. UP has the largest contingent of Muslim MPs with seven in SP and four in BSP. Among the SP MPs, Munnawar Hasan, who represents Muzzafarnagar, has made it clear that he will vote against the government.
“I will defy the party whip...By extending support to the deal, Mulayam has played with the sentiments of Muslims and his true face has now come to the fore,” he told TOI. However, it’s no secret that Hasan’s differences with the party high command pre-date its hobnobbing with the Congress. SP’s Muslim MPs may not back UPA
New Delhi: Vast majority of Muslim MPs would be backing the government in the confidence vote on July 22. But some like Atiq Ahmed, SP MP from Phulpur, who is being watched keenly by both sides, told reporters in Allahabad, where he was brought from Mainpuri jail after being allowed to attend Parliament, that "the need for seeking a confidence vote is less likely to arise as Manmohan Singh will tender his resignation before that". That suggests he might join Hasan in going against the party whip.
Other SP MPs like Rubab Sayda of B a h r a i ch , Shafiqur Rehman Barq of Moradabad or Salim Sherwani from Badaun all maintained they will vote with their party and the refrain from them is that "what is good for the country, is good for Muslims too."
Few expect the BSP's 4 MPs to go against party supremo Mayawati's decision to vote against the government. Party MP from Azamgarh, Akbar Ahmed Dumpy, said that he would have voted against the deal even if the BSP had not issued a whip. He added that this was not a Muslim issue. "The move...to sign the deal is nothing short of compromising the security of the nation," he said.
Another dissenting voice from the pro-deal camp could be Golam Osmani, who represents Barpeta in Assam, but as with SP's Hasan, the issue here is not Islam but his disaffection with the local party leadership. Another Congress MP from the state, Anwar Hussain, has made it clear that he is not just voting for the government but working to ensure the trust vote is won.
UP apart, the states with the largest number of Muslim MPs -- 5 each-- are West Bengal and Bihar. In West Bengal, neither the CPM's three MPs nor the two from the Congress are expected to stray from their respective party lines.
In Bihar too, the RJD's three Muslim MPs--Mohd Shahabuddin, Mohd Fatmi and Taslimuddin-- look certain to back their party's stand and so does Congress' Shakeel Ahmad. The lone anti-deal voice among Bihar's Muslim MPs will be the BJP's Shahnawaz Hussain, but both sides agree that the issue is not about Islam, but about "national interests".
Muslim MPs from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala are by all indications going to stick to their respective positions, which means Congress, DMK and Muslim League members will back the government, while those from the CPM will vote against it.
Of the 37 Muslims MPs, 26 are in parties that are part of the UPA or have openly declared their support for the government in the trust vote, while 11 are with anti-deal parties like the CPM, BSP, BJP or JD(U). TOI spoke to most of them on Wednesday and found that there’s hardly any who see the issue as having anything to do with the community.
Most, on both sides of the divide, affirm that they will abide by their party’s stand, those against the government dubbing the deal harmful to the country’s interests and those in favour asserting that it would serve India’s objectives.
What is particularly interesting is that an avowedly Muslim party like the Muslim League in Kerala is firmly in the progovernment camp and even Asaduddin Owaisi of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) seems likely to stick by the UPA, though he said, “MIM will take a decision...on July 19 after consultations with party chief Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi.” Also, of the two parties Kashmir parties, Mehbooba Mufti from the PDP has committed her support to the government, while Omar Abdullah’s National Conference too appears to be veering around to throwing its weight behind the deal.
There are some exceptions though. UP has the largest contingent of Muslim MPs with seven in SP and four in BSP. Among the SP MPs, Munnawar Hasan, who represents Muzzafarnagar, has made it clear that he will vote against the government.
“I will defy the party whip...By extending support to the deal, Mulayam has played with the sentiments of Muslims and his true face has now come to the fore,” he told TOI. However, it’s no secret that Hasan’s differences with the party high command pre-date its hobnobbing with the Congress. SP’s Muslim MPs may not back UPA
New Delhi: Vast majority of Muslim MPs would be backing the government in the confidence vote on July 22. But some like Atiq Ahmed, SP MP from Phulpur, who is being watched keenly by both sides, told reporters in Allahabad, where he was brought from Mainpuri jail after being allowed to attend Parliament, that "the need for seeking a confidence vote is less likely to arise as Manmohan Singh will tender his resignation before that". That suggests he might join Hasan in going against the party whip.
Other SP MPs like Rubab Sayda of B a h r a i ch , Shafiqur Rehman Barq of Moradabad or Salim Sherwani from Badaun all maintained they will vote with their party and the refrain from them is that "what is good for the country, is good for Muslims too."
Few expect the BSP's 4 MPs to go against party supremo Mayawati's decision to vote against the government. Party MP from Azamgarh, Akbar Ahmed Dumpy, said that he would have voted against the deal even if the BSP had not issued a whip. He added that this was not a Muslim issue. "The move...to sign the deal is nothing short of compromising the security of the nation," he said.
Another dissenting voice from the pro-deal camp could be Golam Osmani, who represents Barpeta in Assam, but as with SP's Hasan, the issue here is not Islam but his disaffection with the local party leadership. Another Congress MP from the state, Anwar Hussain, has made it clear that he is not just voting for the government but working to ensure the trust vote is won.
UP apart, the states with the largest number of Muslim MPs -- 5 each-- are West Bengal and Bihar. In West Bengal, neither the CPM's three MPs nor the two from the Congress are expected to stray from their respective party lines.
In Bihar too, the RJD's three Muslim MPs--Mohd Shahabuddin, Mohd Fatmi and Taslimuddin-- look certain to back their party's stand and so does Congress' Shakeel Ahmad. The lone anti-deal voice among Bihar's Muslim MPs will be the BJP's Shahnawaz Hussain, but both sides agree that the issue is not about Islam, but about "national interests".
Muslim MPs from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala are by all indications going to stick to their respective positions, which means Congress, DMK and Muslim League members will back the government, while those from the CPM will vote against it.
Labels: Indian Politics
# posted by gopi @ 8:17 AM 
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