Now,BJP on lookout for ‘suitable’ Muslim candidates

A party leader said after central leadership’s demand,state ‘Alpsankhyak Morcha’ conducted a survey to identify the Assembly constituencies where the party could win if it fields Muslim candidates. The 20 constituencies identified by the party for the purpose include Sareni in Rae Bareli,Jaunpur Sadar,Saharanpur Rural,Moradabad Sadar,Amroha in Jyotiba Phule Nagar,Dhampur in Bijnor,Madhuban in Mau,Meerut South and Unnao Sadar. Some seats are in Shahjahanpur and Badaun.

In 2007 Assembly elections,no Muslim candidate had contested on the BJP ticket. The party had given the ticket to one Muslim candidate Gahrul Hasan Rizvi from Unnao Sadar constituency but he had denied to file nomination later due to personal reasons. Later,a non-Muslim candidate was fielded from there who lost the election. “This time the party is going to give ticket to some Muslims,” said Kesari Nath Tripathi,who was party state president during 2007 polls.

“The party has decided to field Muslim candidates in UP Assembly elections and if the BJP comes in power there,Muslims would also be given place in the cabinet,” said J K Jain,national in-charge,BJP’s Minority Morcha.

“The party has realised that it cannot get Muslim votes only by giving speeches and assurances of welfare. It is necessary to give them opportunity to contest in polls,” Jain said.

Jain refused to reveal the number of Muslim candidates the party wants to field. He said that party had fielded Muslim candidates in recently held Assam Assembly polls for the first time.

Party national vice-president and a prominent Muslim face in the party from U,Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said,“The party is looking for Muslim candidates. But ticket would be given to deserving persons only.”

A BJP leader said the party can win in Muslim-dominated areas if its candidate get votes of both – Muslim voters and traditional BJP voters. “Focusing on this equation,the party has decided to field Muslim candidates,” he said.

The leader further said there were about 60,000 Muslim votes in Unnao Sadar in 2007. The Samajwadi Party candidate with 42,208 votes won from there.

The party got Muslim votes,too. The BJP candidate from the seat stood at 3rd position with 11,832 votes. As per the latest electoral roll,there are 80,000 Muslim votes in that constituency,he said.

Meanwhile,the BJP is going to organise ‘Alpsankhyak Swabhiman Sammelan’ in Lucknow on September 27 and 28. The party will tell the participants how the Congress,SP and BSP used Muslims to get power but did not work for their welfare.