Can’t convince, so Joshi confuses Muslim voters

Joshi’s call is reaching the Muslim-dominated areas in the shape of pamphlets, small books and other reading material. ‘‘Kya Joshi Apke Vote Ke Haqdar nahin (Does Joshi not deserve your vote?),’’ says one of the pamphlets. The list of minority-specific welfare measures in these pamphlets includes laying of a network of computers in the country to ensure jobs to Muslim youth and grant of Rs 150 crore for the betterment of the madarsas and opening of new schools and institutes in Muslim-dominated areas.

Joshi has formed a team of Muslim intellectuals, which includes former vice-chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University, Mehmudurrehman, former Urdu professor in Allahabad University Jafar Raza, to ensure that the steps taken during his five-year tenure as the HRD minister for the ‘‘welfare of the minority community’’ are highlighted.

He had also sent former the Uttar Pradesh Urdu Committee chairman to convince Mohammed Kaif, the local lad who is also a prominent member of the Indian cricket team, to join in but the latter refused to play on the political field.

Joshi’s move isn’t surprising. This is the first time that he seems to be in trouble; faced as he is with a general dissatisfaction among members of the teaching community for failing to ensure the status of central university to the Allahabad University — where he taught Physics for years — and also the apathy of party workers for ‘‘being inaccessible and arrogant’’.

‘‘We will vote for the candidate who gives a tough fight to Joshi. He could have easily got a central status for the Allahabad University but the Bill for the same could not even be tabled because it was placed towards the fag end of Parliament session. Why couldn’t it be placed earlier,’’ asks Allahabad University Associated Colleges Teachers Association presidents Ram Muni Pandey.

The man who has disturbed Joshi for the first time in his fourth attempt to ensure a berth in Parliament is Reoti Raman Singh, the SP MLA from one of the Assembly segments (Karchana) in Allahabad and also a minister.

‘‘He was also his opponent the last time but was defeated by a margine of 70,000 votes but this time he (Reoti) is a minister which means that the local administration will be sympathetic towards him. Add to this the growing anger towards Joshi, and the Union minister is in for trouble,’’ says Anugrah Narain Singh, a former MLA who has now joined the SP.