Muslim groups urge Congress to field Umar Khalid for Rajya Sabha polls; flag under-representation of community

JAIPUR: Several Muslim organisations in Rajasthan have urged the Congress to nominate anti-CAA/NRC activist Umar Khalid for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, with three seats from the state set to fall vacant in June.

In a joint representation Monday to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the groups said Khalid's candidature would signal a commitment to civil rights and address the absence of Muslim representation from Rajasthan in Parliament. The groups claim that Muslims account for around 9–10% of the state's population, but none of its 35 MPs, including 10 Rajya Sabha members, currently belong to the community.

Khalid, a former JNU student representative, has been in jail since 2020 in connection with the Delhi riots case.

Mohsin Rashid, a Congress worker and state president of the Rajasthan Muslim Alliance from Tonk, said the party draws significant support from Muslim voters. "In the 2023 assembly elections, Muslims accounted for roughly every fourth vote polled by the Congress, and this share rose further in 2024 Lok Sabha elections," he said in the letter.

He also flagged what he described as under-representation in ticket distribution. "Despite this support, the party fielded only 15 Muslim candidates in the 200-seat assembly elections — about 7.5% — and none in Lok Sabha polls from Rajasthan," Rashid wrote.

On being asked why Khalid, he responded, "He is in prison fighting since 2020 for raising his voice against the violation of rights of the country's biggest minorities. In RS, he would ensure that the voice of the voiceless is heard."

Calling Khalid's nomination deserving, Yasmeen Farooqui, general secretary of Muslim Women India, based in Jaipur and another signatory, said, "His nomination would carry political significance. He has emerged as a voice on constitutional issues. His candidature would reinforce the party's stand on civil rights."

Another signatory, Abdul Salam Johar, pointed out that several Congress figures— including former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, Govind Singh Dotasra and Tikaram Jully — have won from constituencies with sizeable Muslim populations. "The community has consistently backed the party, and this is an opportunity to ensure its representation," Johar said.

The demand comes as Congress is expected to finalise its candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections in the coming months. With BJP holding 118 MLAs and Congress 67 in the state assembly, the ruling party is likely to secure two seats, while Congress is positioned to win one.