Assam, India – When elections are around, Islam Uddin takes it upon himself to raise awareness about the importance of casting votes. The 55-year-old retired teacher from Katigorah, an electoral constituency in India’s northeastern state of Assam that lies on the border with Bangladesh, goes door-to-door to urge other Muslims to vote.“It’s about sending our representative to speak for us,” Uddin told Al Jazeera, his smile widening.But as Assam goes to the polls on April 9 to choose a new government after five years, Uddin’s excitement is clouded by a constant worry: Will his efforts even matter?Following a 2023 order from the Election Commission of India to redraw the boundaries of parliamentary and state legislature constituencies in Assam, the electoral math of Katigorah – bordered by the ancient Borail hills to the north and the Barak River to the south – has dramatically changed.The constituency’s population was previously split almost equally between Hindus and Muslims. Of the state’s main parties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party – which also rules Assam state – would pick a Hindu candidate. The opposition Congress would often choose a Muslim candidate, as would the All India United Democratic Front, the state’s third largest party, which counts Bengali-speaking Muslims amo …
