TN is estimated to have a muslim population of around 40 Lakhs, which constitute 6% of the total TN population and scattered across the state.
It was always held that wooing the muslim population by appeasement and exclusive attractive schemes by any political party would fetch their votes enmasse thereby having an edge over other political parties. This was one of the USPs of the muslim political parties in TN and many policies and schemes were dictated by them due to this ‘block voting power’.
This was true to some extent a few decades ago, where there were only 1 or 2 muslim political parties in TN, who claimed to be representing the interests of their community. These political parties would be doing piggyback ride on the shoulders of either Dravidian party and would enjoy the fruits of power unquestionably.
Common Hindus and other major political parties were also believing in this ‘block voting power’ of muslims and were succumbing to the pressure of these muslim parties.
However, in the last 2 decades, muslim political parties mushroomed in TN, all claiming to be ‘fighting’ for the ‘rights’ of the muslims in the state. In addition to the political parties claiming to have All India presence, TN witnessed emergence of new political parties with local identity. Muslim Munntetra Kazhagam, PFI, AIMIM, SDPI, TMJK, Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath, India Thowheed Jamath, Indian Union Muslim League, Indian National League, etc. The list goes on.
This year’s election (2021) saw the muslim parties fragmented and forming part of almost all alliances, except NDA.
On one side, this election is seeing the ‘consolidation of Hindu votes’ and on the other side, ‘fragmentation of muslim votes’ is very evident. Several political observers, who are muslims feel that the division among Muslim political parties push the cluster of Muslim votes towards a complete state of disintegration because of which they are no more a big force to reckon with in the state.
It is the usual practice of Jamaath to propagate and campaign for political parties inside mosques. With the disintegration of Muslim political parties into various alliances this time, even the appeal made by the jamaaths send confusing signals to their followers. According to a newspaper report, one muslim candidate contesting in an alliance found, to his rude shock, that the jamaath was warning its followers to vote for a another political party, else will have to face the wrath of Allah.
Whatever be the power outcome of the poll results in the state, one thing is becoming clear that the myth of “undivided muslim votes” and that muslims vote enmasse to a particular party or alliance in TN is getting shattered. If this impacts the results, this would be the single most encouraging outcome of the 2021 Assembly election.