While the Congress Party seems to have stumbled in its bid to woo the Muslims in the light of India’s vote against Iran and the Prophet’s cartoon row, the wave of anger expressed by the minority community across the state is working to the advantage of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav. Assembly elections are due here in February 2007 and with the Muslims playing a vital role in deciding the outcome in around 125 constituencies, the Samajwadi Party (SP) is already counting the gains. The Congress’ silence on the Iran vote and cartoon row has created conditions for the polarisation of Muslim votes among SP and BSP. However, SP sources claimed that the advantage would accrue to Mulayam. National spokesperson of SP Nishith Rai said, “The Prophet’s cartoon issue has arrested the Muslim-tilt towards the Congress in UP and since the Chief Minister still enjoyed the confidence of the community it was advantage SP. Moreover, being in power, the SP was in a better position to deliver to all sections of the society than the BSP or the Congress.” In fact, the scales seem to be tilting in Mulayam’s favour vis-a-vis Muslim support without making any investment. For, at Sunday’s ehtejaaj ka muzahira (display of anger) rally in the state capital though the focus of the Muslim’s anger was US President George W Bush and the Danish government, slogans were also raised against UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Incidentally, Mulayam has also maintained silence over the cartoon row as well as on Minister of State for Haj and Minorities Welfare Haji Yaqub Qureishi’s announcement of Rs 51 crore reward for the Danish cartoonist’s head, letting his satraps do the talking. For instance, after the Haji’s outburst in Meerut, the minority cell of the SP staged a protest at the Vidhan Sabha and burnt the effigies of the Danish government. Even as Mulayam has kept to himself on the cartoon row and Qureishi’s outburst, on the Iran issue he had made his distaste known on India’s Vienna vote and had even threatened to move a no-trust motion against the Manmohan Singh government. He is also on record to have said that the Samajwadi Party workers would oppose George’s Bush visit to Agra. The SP and the Left are holding a joint rally in New Delhi on March 2 in protest against the US President’s visit.
