Waqf Bill: Politics and Opportunism

The passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was expected to be a challenge for the BJP-led government, given the sensitivities surrounding the issue. However, the ease with which it sailed through both houses of Parliament underscored not only the BJP’s numerical advantage but also the opportunistic politics of several regional parties. The debate and voting process laid bare the deep political fault lines and the shifting priorities of parties that have traditionally built their support on minority vote banks.

Far from being a debate on principle, the Waqf Bill exposed how political parties navigate the tricky terrain of minority appeasement or antagonism based on electoral calculations. Some parties opposed the bill as a symbolic stand to retain Muslim support, while others found themselves in awkward positions due to their shifting alliances and internal divisions. The Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)] faced significant turmoil, with at least two members resigning in protest. JD(U) spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad, however, dismissed these resignations as theatrics, stating that neither individual was a core member of the party. Yet, the visible dissent within JD(U) reflects deeper discomfort among its minority leaders, particularly Ghulam Rasool Baliyawi, who openly criticized the party’s support for the bill.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) found itself in an equally uncomfortable position. Despite being a party known for its secular stance, its support for the Waqf Bill created internal fractures. BJD has seven members in the Rajya Sabha, three voted in support of the Bill, signalling an erosion of party discipline under Naveen Patnaik’s leadership. The party’s official stance was to oppose the bill. This has led to speculation about a growing rift within the party and the possibility of members switching sides in the near future. Having failed to win a single Lok Sabha seat in the last general elections, the BJD now faces the additional challenge of maintaining its hold over its Rajya Sabha members, some of whom may be re-evaluating their political affiliations.

Meanwhile, the bill sparked protests in West Bengal, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee positioning herself as the strongest critic of the legislation. She pledged that any future government under her influence would amend or repeal the bill, a clear indication of her attempt to consolidate Muslim support in the state. The political ramifications of the Waqf Bill have thus extended beyond Parliament, with street protests and internal party frictions.

In essence, the Waqf Bill’s passage has proven to be less about ideological conviction and more about the calculations of political survival. The strains within JD(U), BJD, and other parties highlight the shifting ground in Indian politics, where minority vote banks remain a crucial yet contested battleground.