Last Muslim Lok Sabha MP from Gujarat was in 1984

Last Muslim Lok Sabha MP from Gujarat was in 1984
Ahmedabad, 15 April, 2009



A Muslim MP in Lok Sabha from Gujarat?

Well, that has not happened for last 25 years, thats a quarter of a century time.

Gujarat’s last muslim MP was elected in 1984 on Bharuch seat. Senior Congress leader and Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s political advisor Ahmed Patel had won Bharuch consequently for third time then. He had won the Bharuch seat in 1977 and 1980 too earlier. But after three victories in row, Ahmed Patel lost Bharuch in 1989 and 1991 Lok Sabha elections. In 1991 Janata Dal’s muslim candidate Sheikh Ayesha Begum also lost miserably on Ahmedabad seat.

In 1996, Congress candiate Irshad Mirza lost Ahmedabad seat. In 1998, Congress candidate Iqbal Kakuji lost Bharuch seat. In 2004 elections, Congress candidate Mohammad Fansiwala was defeated on Bharuch seat by his BJP rival.

In 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Congress has put up Aziz Tankarvi, editor of Gujarati daily ‘Gujarat Today’ as a candidate from Bharuch. This has met with stiff resistance from within the party. Over a 100 party workers have joined the BJP. Bharuch is central Gujarat’s tribal dominated district where BJP has chosen a tribal sitting MP as a candidate. Muslims form a second strong block of voters in Bharuch.

from 1960 to 1984, Gujaratis(both Hindus and Muslims) were liberal. Johraben Chavda, a muslim candidate from Congress won Banaskantha seat, while in 1977, Ehsan Jaffri won Ahmedabad seat. Thus from 1960 to 2009, Gujarat has seen three muslim Lok Sabha members.

In Photo:Ahmed Patel