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The party’s decision to suddenly search for its Hindu roots has alienated its traditional vote bank, with several Muslim leaders complaining of being sidelined in poll-bound states
Not only has Shakeel Ahmad accused the Grand Old Party and Rahul Gandhi of distancing themselves from Muslims, but his tirade has triggered similar reactions from many Muslim leaders in the party. (PTI)
The outburst of Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad, who quit the party on Sunday, couldn’t have come at a worse time. Not only has he accused the Grand Old Party and Rahul Gandhi of distancing themselves from Muslims, but his tirade has triggered similar reactions from many Muslim leaders in the party.
The timing is bad for the Congress, as these comments come close to elections in states like Assam and Kerala, which have substantial Muslim population. While Kerala has about 27 per cent Muslims, Assam has around 34 per cent, and the Congress was banking on these votes to make a comeback.
But the going has been tough for the party. The minority vote bank—which once backed the Congress so firmly that the UPA government had no qualms in pushing for many benefits under the Sachar Committee to pamper Muslims—is now slipping away. In fact, during the UPA rule, the tag of indulging in appeasement was often put on the Congress. But over time, the Muslim voters have got smarter. They have looked at winning options like Trinamool Congress, RJD, AIMIM and even Samajwadi Party in many pockets of Uttar Pradesh.
This apart, in many states, small parties have emerged with Muslims leading them. They may not win, but they have cut votes—mostly of the Congress. For instance, Indian Secular Front in Furfura Sharif and Badruddin Ajmal in Assam among others.
A big reason for this has been the Congress suddenly searching for its Hindu roots. This can be attributed to the BJP’s constant victories across the country. The appeasement tag on the Congress and the BJP’s successful Hindutva agenda has made the Congress rethink its strategy. The party is now suddenly labelling Rahul Gandhi a ‘Janeyu Dhari’ Brahmin and a Shiv Bhakt and preaching that unlike the BJP, the Congress looks at Hinduism from a non-divisive prism. But this newfound love for Hinduism has not given any benefits to the Congress. The multiple temple runs by Rahul Gandhi and his Kailash Mansarovar Yatra didn’t click with voters and only ended up alienating the Muslims, who felt used.
Now, when the Congress needs Muslim votes the most, its own leaders still with the party—like Tariq Anwar and Rashid Alvi—are supporting Ahmed and pointing to a larger problem.
Sources say many other Muslim leaders in the Congress, including some in poll-bound states, are unhappy as they feel they are being sidelined. They go on to say that Rahul Gandhi is reluctant to even click pictures with leaders from the minority community. Can the Gandhi scion then turn the tide and take along a community that has historically been the party’s supporter but now feels alienated? In the absence of answers, it seems the upcoming elections will be the litmus test for the dilemma.
January 26, 2026, 08:36 IST
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