New Delhi, March 3 (Indianmuslims.info) Out of the 272 new wards re-constituted by Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Muslim factor matters in as many as 52 wards, in which Muslim candidates are expected either to emerge as winners or help the desired candidates win.

In 16 out of the 52 wards Muslim population is 50% or even more than that; in 19 wards Muslims constitute 30-45% of the population, and in 17 wards their ratio comes at 15-25%.

However, as the powers-that-be would have it, in 7 out of the 52 wards Muslim candidates cannot try their luck as these 7 wards have been reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) women. So Muslims can participate in the election fray in only 45 wards.

In the last 134-ward MCD elections, the Congress had fielded about a dozen Muslim candidates and 5 out of them could win the elections. And the total number of successful Muslim councillors was eight: 2 on Janta Dal (Secular) tickets and 1 independent besides 5 on Congress tickets.

Whether or not the representation of Muslims in MCD will increase in the forthcoming elections depends entirely on the policy adopted by the political parties. It is indeed testing time for political parties to show their secular credentials and keep their promise to give Muslims due participation in power. Muslims here are yet to see whether the political parties will give Muslims tickets at least in 45 wards where Muslims are in decision-making position.