Congress Draws Muslim Support, BJP Wins Hindu Vote
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- Congress drew increasingly strong backing from Muslim voters in the recent state elections across four Indian states, analysts said.
- BJP won three of the four state contests and secured overwhelming Hindu support, and it fielded no Muslim candidates in Assam or West Bengal.
- Assam saw 18 of its 19 newly elected lawmakers from the Muslim community, while the BJP captured 82 of the 126 seats.
- AIUDF’s tally collapsed to just two seats in Assam, down from 16 seats five years earlier.
- West Bengal was won by the BJP for the first time with 207 lawmakers, and the two Congress legislators elected there were Muslims.
- Rasheed Kidwai noted that the BJP’s rise has driven a consolidation of Muslim voters behind secular parties like Congress, a reverse polarisation.
- Narendra Modi denied playing the religious card, saying he would lose his ability to lead if he talked about Hindu‑Muslim politics.
Why it matters: Congress gains a consolidated Muslim base, strengthening its position in state legislatures, while the BJP consolidates Hindu support, expanding its dominance across three of four states; the shift deepens communal polarization and reduces the electoral prospects of smaller Muslim‑focused parties like AIUDF.
