Mohammed Wajihuddin TNN
Mumbai: Muslim pockets in the city and suburbs like Bhendi Bazaar, Nagpada, Behrampada (Bandra East), Jogeshwari, Mumbra and Bhiwandi saw good turnout which many community leaders interpreted as a reaction to a perceived ‘Modi wave’.
“We are satisfied with the way minorities, including Muslims, in the city have voted and they have voted against communal forces,” said state minorities affairs minister Naseem Khan.
Several activists TOI spoke to said the minorities overwhelmingly voted for “secular candidates”. Some claimed that a section of Muslim votes might have gone to AAP, but most went to the Congress-NCP combine.
“Fear of Narendra Modi (BJP’s PM candidate) did play a role in significant increase in Muslim votes this time which is better than 2009,” said Mohammed Asadullah, a Mumbra resident.
The activists said Muslims in south Mumbai again sided with Congress’s Milind Deora, while in constituencies like North-Central and North-East, some did vote for the SP’s Farhan Azmi and AAP’s Medha Patkar, respectively.
“Initially, a chunk of Muslims wanted to vote for Patkar, but in the last two days opinion built up that they needed to consolidate their votes if they wanted to halt Modi,” said a Govandibased activist.
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