Does the Muslim Vote Matter?

Abstract

The dominant descriptions of Muslim political engagements in contemporary India suffer from three conceptual problems. First, there is an assumption that Muslims constitute a single homogeneous community, whose political/electoral behaviour is self-evident. Second, ‘Muslim voting’ is envisaged as an independent self-governing exercise as if Muslim politics is all about Muslim voting. Third, Muslim voting behaviour is always understood in relation to Muslim political representation in legislative bodies. It is assumed, in fact rather uncritically, that there is an organic and instrumental relationship between Muslim voters and Muslim Members of Parliament (MPs) and – Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). The political engagements of Muslims in contemporary India, therefore, need to be explored as an ever-evolving independent discourse, which does not always respond to the challenges posed by Hindutva politics. This chapter asks two straightforward questions: does the Muslim vote matter after the BJP’s spectacular victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha election? What do we learn about its presence, representation and participation in national politics as we dissect the electoral process and outcome of this important election and its aftermath?