Jama Masjid trustee to contest from Mumbadevi | mumbai news

MUMBAI: In what is being seen as a surprise move, Shuaib Khatib, administrator of Mumbai’s oldest mosque, Jama Masjid, situated behind Crawford Market, will fight the Assembly elections from Mumbadevi constituency against three-time MLA Congress, Amin Patel.

Khatib had also fought the Lok Sabha elections from South Mumbai constituency on a BSP ticket. This time, however, he will fight as a candidate of the Azad Samaj Party headed by Chandrashekhar Aazad `Ravan’, founder of the Bhim Army and MP from Nagina, Uttar Pradesh.

Aazad is currently one of the most popular politicians among Muslims for the way he has taken a stand, both inside and outside Parliament, on issues affecting the community. In September, he was in Mumbai to lead the Eid-e-Milad procession from Khilafat House and, according to journalist Sarfaraz Arzu, who organizes the procession as head of the All India Khilafat Committee, the turnout was the largest seen in the years. last years.

“What better leader could I have chosen?” Khatib asked.

Khatib, who lost his deposit in the Lok Sabha elections, polling just 4,478 votes, claims that the “public” wanted him to fight again. ”Congress has once again given tickets to the same Muslims as always. Where is the space for any second level leadership in the community? Amin Patel has represented Mumbadevi for 15 years, but tell me five things he has done for the people,” he told HT.

Incidentally, Patel is a five-time recipient of the “Number 1 MLA” award from the Praja Foundation, which evaluates the work of public representatives, and also won the Outstanding Parliamentary Award 2023-24 by the Maharashtra branch of the Parliamentary Association of the Commonwealth.

When asked about funds to fight elections, Khatib said funds are not needed in the age of social media. “I plan to go door to door with my hands together.”

He also rejected the argument that he would act as a vote cutter in what is seen as a direct fight between the MVA and the Mahayutis. Yet that is how political observers describe his candidacy. “It seems the BJP is in overdrive to prevent Muslims from getting elected, supporting all types of candidates,” said Sarfaraz Arzu, editor of the Hindustan Urdu Daily. “A candidate who could not get more than 4,500 votes in the six Assembly constituencies that make up the South Mumbai Lok Sabha constituency cannot be taken seriously.”

Last year, Khatib was at the center of a huge controversy when photographs emerged of BJP MLA Ashish Shelar wrapping him in a party scarf inside the Jama Masjid Trust office. He had to deny reports that he had joined the BJP.