The Congress leader, M. Arif ‘Naseem’ Khan, from Maharashtra, has resigned from the party’s campaign panel, displaying his reluctance over the absence of Muslim candidates in the state. In a letter to party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Khan stated that he would not be standing for the impending Lok Sabha elections but instead would campaign for a united non-Hindu bloc after MVA (Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi) had failed to run any Muslim candidates.
Khan, who is working for the party as a former state minister, portrayed a picture where the 48 Muslim seats of the state (Maharashtra) were skillfully left vacant. This decision seems to have dampened the spirits of Muslim organizations, leaders, and party workers in Maharashtra, which was replaced by a hope that the Congress could support the minority community with any decision-making process.
The fact that the Congress does not field Muslim candidates in its local elections has brought about inquiries from party members and workers, who raise the issue of why the Congress seeks the votes of Muslims but does nor field Muslim candidates.
When asked about his reasoning behind his decision to leave his position as the Campaign Committee Convenor, he replied that he did not have adequate means to justify his resignation on certain issues, which led to his resignation.
The MVA alliance consisting of Shiv Sena, National Congress Party, and Indian National Congress will submit the nomination forms for 17 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.
Khan, among the contenders slugging it out for a ticket for Mumbai North Central, lost Dhananjaya Gaikwad. The 2019 assembly elections from Chandivali turned out to be the trope that eventually initiated Khan’s decline.
The contender exposes issues with the Congress, such as an idea that it has moved away from its inclusive ideological suburbs and is thus providing insufficient representation of all communities.
Minority organizations and party workers have been expressing their discontent, through numerous phone calls, over how the tickets were allocated in the Maharashtra elections.
