Hyderabad: Ever since the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was passed last year, the Muslim community in India woke up to the realisation that it may be disenfranchised by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It became evident that the BJP has some aversion to Muslims, but its leaders always maintained that was never the case. However, if the candidate list of the BJP for the upcoming Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) polls is anything to go by, then it is rather obvious that the saffron party doesn’t really care about Muslims or their representation; even in a city where the community occupies about 20-25% of the population (as GHMC limits includes surroundings, while it is higher in the core areas of Hyderabad) . Among all the BJP’s corporator candidates for the 150 GHMC wards, only one Muslim candidate, Mirza Akil Afandi (Dabeerpura ward) has found himself lucky. This, in a city where the Old City is dominated by Muslims. In fact, political analysts believe that BJP putting up Muslim candidates at least in the old city areas would at least hurt the All India Majilis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen’s prospects (as BJP would also draw some non-Muslim votes). The irony here is that the AIMIM, which is contesting in about 60 seats (about 45 in the Old City areas) and which often is called the BJP’s “B-team”, has itself fielded four non-Muslim candidates. BJP functionaries, when contacted, did not have much to say about this. While AIMIM’s Muslim-centric politics is obvious and open, it has also always tried to put up an image of being inclusive (as one can see from it giving non-Muslim candidates tickets in the recent Bihar state elections as well). When contacted, an AIMIM functionary said that while four non-Muslim candidates have been given tickets for the GHMC polls this time, the previous year two non-Muslims were given tickets. “The four candidates standing this time have been given tickets because the ward has more Hindu population or the seats are reserved (for a specific category). The four non-Muslim candidates are standing from Jam Bagh, Karwaan, Puranapul and Falaknuma,” the AIMIM functionary informed.