‘I admired PM Modi for his charisma. But his popularity has been falling. There is too much Hindu-Muslim binary’: NDA’s lone sitting Muslim MP, now in RJD

The lone Muslim MP of the NDA in the outgoing Lok Sabha, Choudhary Mehboob Ali Kaiser left the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) a few days ago to join the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) after being denied the ticket from Khagaria, which he has represented since 2014. He speaks to The Indian Express on his decision to defect and the “sharpened” religious binary in the NDA regime, and claims Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s charisma is “waning”. Excerpts:

Was the denial of a ticket the only reason behind you leaving the NDA?

It is true that the denial of a ticket was the trigger. Despite being in the NDA, I had got overwhelming support from fellow Muslims in the last two Lok Sabha polls. I had the honour of being the lone Muslim face of the NDA in the Lok Sabha. I was confident of winning again from Khagaria. Even the Imam of the Jama Masjid in Khagaria could not have beaten me this time if he had contested on an NDA ticket. But now that I have joined the RJD and am part of the INDIA bloc, I would like to take up larger questions of threat to the Constitution and democracy under the present regime. There is too much misinformation about the economy, which isn’t actually in a good shape.

How do you justify criticising PM Modi now, after being an admirer in the past?

It’s true I was an admirer of PM Modi because of his charisma and appeal. But his popularity has been on the wane. There has been too much of Hindu-Muslim binary under his regime. I am not bragging, but let me make it clear — my victories from Khagaria had to do more with my hard work, appeal and my family’s legacy, more than any other factor. My father Choudhary Salahuddin was an eight-time MLA from Simri Bakhtiyarpur, and a former Bihar minister. My grandfather Nazirul