In the last assembly elections held in Karnataka state in May 2023, the Congress party got the maximum support from the Muslim community.
Earlier, the BJP got benefitted due to the split of the Muslim votes between the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular). But in the May 2023 elections, majority of the Muslims, who were earlier voting for the JD (S) candidates, voted for the Congress, helping it come to power with a comfortable margin.
Now with the elections in Telangana round the corner, the talk of whether the Muslims of the state would follow the Karnataka trend.
For the last two assembly elections after the formation of separate Telangana, the Muslims had supported the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, which championed the cause of separate state.
Though the All India Majls-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen led by Asaduddin Owaisi was initially apprehensive that the formation of Telangana might lead to the growth of the BJP, it later realised that the BRS (then TRS) led by K Chandrasekhar Rao would protect the interests of the Muslims.
That is precisely why the MIM supports the BRS and the Muslims voted for KCR in the last two terms. This time, there is a talk that majority of the Muslims are shifting their loyalty towards the Congress, which has done more favours to them than the BRS.
The Muslims, who account for 13% population in state, have the potential to tilt the fortunes of the political parties in 45 seats out of the total 119 seats. Analysts say the victory of the Congress in Karnataka has changed the mind of the Muslims in Telangana.
For some reason, the Congress has been successful in driving home the point among the Muslims that the BRS is hand in glove with the BJP. That is why, they are looking at the Congress as an alternative.
The Congress is also reminding them that it was their government which brought in 4% reservations to the Muslims in education and employment. On the other hand, KCR made a false promise of increasing their reservations to 12 percent, but could not implement it. This is going deep into the mindset of the Muslims.
Yet, a recent survey has revealed that 60 percent of the Muslims of Telangana are still supporting BRS.
“Educated and elite Muslims have shifted towards the Congress, while rural Muslims who are beneficiaries of government schemes, are supporting KCR,” an analyst said, adding that if there is any change the mindset of the rural Muslims, the Congress will sweep the polls.