Saeed Ahmed Rid
Saeed Ahmed Rid is Assistant Professor at the National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
DOI: http://DOI Number
Keywords: Indian Muslims, communal violence, electoral behaviour, Babri Mosque, Gujarat Pogrom
Abstract
Being around fifteen per cent of the total population of India, Indian Muslims constitute a significant minority that cannot be ignored by the political parties in India. Since partition, the Muslims were considered traditional Indian National Congress (INC) constituency, but the failure of the INC to stop the demolition of Babri mosque and Gujarat massacre pushed Muslims to look for other options. In this study, the impact of communal violence on the voting behaviour of Indian Muslims is studied with the help of a comparative study of Muslim voting patterns in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Kerala. This paper argues that the electoral performance of Muslims and their supported party or coalition has a direct bearing on the communal violence against them. By conducting the comparative study of the electoral behaviour of Muslim voters in these three states, it is observed that the most important factor in this performance is the choices they get in a particular state. The political clout and bargaining position of Muslim voters is much better in a coalition system than in a two-party contest and they can play their cards more successfully if they have their own political party as they have in Kerala. This paper also looks at the role of police in communal violence and its relationship with electoral politics.
First Published
September 25, 2018
How to Cite
Saeed Ahmed Rid, “Impact of the
Demolition of the Babri Mosque
and Godhra Pogrom on Muslim
Voting Behaviour: A Comparative
Study of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh,
and Kerala ,” Regional Studies 36,
no.3 (Autumn 2018): 3-30,
https://regionalstudies.com.pk/wp/article/impact-of-the-demolition-of-the-babri-mosque-and-godhra-pogrom-on-muslim-voting-behaviour-a-comparative-study-of-gujarat-uttar-pradesh-and-kerala/
Issue
Volume 36, Issue 3