All India Ulema Board's 17 Demands Heat Up Maharashtra Election 2024 Politics

In a major political move, All India Ulema Board of Maharashtra has submitted 17 demands to the Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition for garnering support in 2024 Maharashtra Assembly Elections. The list includes significant calls for Muslim rights and welfare such as 10% Muslim reservation in jobs and education and monthly stipends for Imams and Maulanas, among others, with a controversial call for banning the RSS.

Maharashtra Election 2024: AIUB’s 17 Demands Spark Political Debate

On November 9, AIUB Chairman Nayab Ansari had written a letter listing out these demands to MVA, comprising Congress, NCP, and Shiv Sena. State's political heavyweights have welcomed the pleas with Congress President Nana Patole, stating that the state will fulfill all the demands, and at the same time, expressed gratitude to AIUB for their support. The 17 demands include freeing Muslim prisoners of the 2012 riots, taking a survey of the Waqf properties, and a fund of Rs 1,000 crores to develop the Waqfs. The AIUB demands that Muslim candidates be given importance in the Assembly elections. This organization demands that 50 Muslim representatives be given tickets.

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The political fallout for the MVA is huge. By meeting these demands, the MVA is seeking to secure the vote bank of the Muslims, who are one of the critical vote banks in Maharashtra. AIUB has also promised to undertake election campaign activity in all of the 48 districts. Considering the demand to ban the RSS, the move by AIUB is triggering debates over the issue of secularism and the use of religion in politics, which can potentially restructure the political perspective of Maharashtra as the state approaches 2024 elections.