The mind of Muslims is changing in UP, distance is decreasing about BJP, claim for ticket in civic elections
May 25, 2019 be remembered, it was that day. When a miracle happened in Indian politics. For the first time in the country, a non-Congress Prime Minister after completing his five-year term for the first time came back to power in the country with an absolute majority. After this victory, the Prime Minister gave a new slogan. The meaning of this slogan ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’ was clear that BJP is going to come out of its old form and do politics in a new way. Will make every effort to carve a place for himself in the minds of Muslims. Despite this, not a single Muslim candidate was given a ticket in the UP 2022 assembly. However, Danish Azad Ansari was definitely made a minister in the Yogi government. All these are BJP’s strategy to make inroads among Muslims in a planned manner. Now it seems that this strategy of BJP has really worked. The reason behind this is that in the civic elections to be held in UP, among the Muslim candidates, there is a demand for tickets from the BJP in the elections. Let’s see the strategy behind it…
State President’s Claim
The attitude of Muslims towards BJP is changing in the state. Now he is getting away from SP-BSP and is looking for his future in BJP. They also know that if anyone can develop them in the country and state, then it is only BJP. Yes, this claim was made by none other than BJP state president Bhupendra Chaudhary, who is in power in the state, on Tuesday at Sayohara in Bijnor. Bhupendra Chaudhary said that if the applicant is strong, then BJP will make electoral bets on Muslims also. The BJP is marching out in the areas with its tag line of “Hum Kamal Khele Nikle Hai”. The workers are being given a pledge to feed lotus to every street, every nook and corner of all the civic areas of the state in the civic elections. The emphasis is on booth management. In the municipal elections, the party will field such a large number of Muslim candidates. It is being claimed that the Yogi-Modi duo has changed the political geography of the state. This minority society, which considers BJP as untouchable, is now demanding BJP ticket. Party sources claim that in the seats where the influence of Muslim society is more, the candidate of that society will be fielded.
Party will give ticket to strong candidate
BJP State President Bhupendra Chaudhary said that in UP, BJP is engaged in the exercise of increasing the party’s base on the lines of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas. This time the BJP is also preparing to bet on Muslim candidates in the civic elections. The party will field Muslim candidates, especially in Muslim-dominated areas. If sources are to be believed, the minority front of the party has started preparing the list of ‘Jitau’ candidates. BJP State President Bhupendra Chaudhary will also brainstorm with the team of Minority Front next week regarding the claim of Muslims and the preparation for the civic elections.
A look at BJP’s Muslim love
- Standing with Muslim women on issues like triple talaq.
- Despite not fielding a single Muslim candidate in the 2017 and 2022 assembly elections, he got power for two consecutive terms. In both these Yogi governments, first Mohsin Raza in 2017 and then in 2022 by making Danish Azad the Minister of State, BJP indicated that their government would be among the Muslims.
- After this, in the National Executive of BJP in Hyderabad, PM Modi had talked about connecting the Pasmanda society in the mainstream. Take care of Muslims in all the schemes of the government.
- Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak, who reached the Pasmanda Samaj convention in Lucknow, had said that “Congress, SP and other opposition parties considered Muslims only as vote banks.
- Big impact of Muslim society on 300 wards
There are about 300 such wards in UP, in which Muslim society dominates. In all these seats, the BJP did not even field candidates. There were two reasons for this. First- Muslim candidates did not want to fight on BJP ticket. Second- BJP used to avoid even fielding its candidate for fear of defeat. This time the BJP does not want to leave any stone unturned for the municipal elections to be held in UP. Therefore, this conference of Pasmanda society is being organized to win 300 wards of Muslim majority in UP and preparations are on to field Muslim candidates in all these seats. At the same time, BJP contested only 844 seats in municipal corporations as against 980 councillor posts. Candidates were fielded for 78 seats out of 90 of the Varanasi Municipal Corporation, as the party did not have candidates for Muslim-majority wards. But now the situation has changed. Now a large number of Muslims are demanding BJP ticket in the municipal elections.
BJP’s politics behind giving tickets to Muslims
The BJP, which is trying to bring new voters together, is working on making Muslims its ‘own’. For this reason, bets will be placed on Muslims in the civic elections. A BJP leader says that giving tickets to Muslims is also a part of BJP’s politics and also a necessity. In the urban body elections held in 2012, more than 30% of the municipal and nagar panchayat presidents were Muslim.
There are 24 districts in UP where the number of Muslims is more than 20%
- The Muslim population in 12 districts ranges from 35% to 52%.
- Sambhal, Saharanpur, Bijnor, Moradabad, Bahraich, Muzaffarnagar, Balrampur, Meerut, Amroha, Rampur, Bareilly, Shravasti have the largest Muslim population.
- In many districts including Aligarh, Moradabad, Firozabad, Sambhal, Shamli, Muslim voters are also in abundance in Nagar Panchayats.
Trying to bring vote percentage to 60% before 2024
The BJP is holding the Pasmanda Intellectual Conference to bring the Muslim vote bank to its side. In this conference held in Lucknow about 6 days ago, along with Danish Ansari, Minister of Ansari Samaj of the government, both the Deputy CMs also attended. The BJP mission wants to bring its vote percentage to around 60% in UP before 2024, so the party’s focus is also on minorities. Following the PM’s request, Pasmanda has identified over 44,000 polling stations with a significant population of Muslims, where the focus will be. The target is to talk to at least 100 beneficiaries of the Pasmanda Muslim community in each such booth. Morcha state president Kunwar Basit Ali says that most of the people who have benefited from the schemes of the central and state government are from the minority community. If we look at the constituency-wise, about 100 beneficiaries at each booth belong to the minority community. The Minority Front has been given the responsibility of making them ‘own’.
