As mercury starts rising just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, especially in the heartland, Muslim candidates headed for elections in western Uttar Pradesh in the first phase who are observing fast during the ongoing Ramzan are adjusting their campaigns and modifying their diets. Instead of going for door-to-door canvassing in the sun, the candidates, cutting across party lines, are opting for indoor meetings. If they have to be outdoors during the day – when they abstain from taking any food or water – they hold nukkad (street-corner) meetings with small gatherings in tents, where they keep their speeches short, lasting for about 5 minutes on an average. The candidates only head out to the streets or markets in the evening when the community members step out of their homes after breaking their fast at iftar. Instead of the usual spread, on the menu of the candidates these days are light meals like khichdi and dalia (porridge) for sehri – the pre-sunrise meal - and dates, juices and fruits for instant energy at the end of the day. Ramzan got underway on March 12 and is likely to conclude on April 10, with Eid-ul-Fitr slated for April 11 depending on the moon sighting. The nomination for the first phase of polls, on April 19, started on March 20. Of the eight seats in western Uttar Pradesh going to polls on April 19, seven have sizeable Muslim populations. These include Rampur, Saharanpur, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Nagina, Moradabad and Bijnor. In Rampur, the Muslim voters make up about 52% of the electorate. The SP's candidate from the Rampur seat, Mohibbullah Nadvi, says he ensures he doesn't miss his five-time daily namaz as he contests his first election. He also uses the mosque visits to interact with the community, says Mohammad Asif, Mohibbullah's younger brother who is managing his poll campaign. On Mohibbullah's meals, Asif says he is not very particular about what he eats for sehri. “But if he takes a heavy meal, that can cause discomfort during canvassing. Our campaign starts from 8 am and continues till late evening. People usually meet after namaz. He travels to villages too. He covers large areas in the evening after iftar. We also hold meetings with party workers for poll management in the evenings,” Asif says. The BSP's Rampur candidate, Zeeshan Khan, prefers khichdi or dalia for sehri. “I start canvassing at 10 am and address 15 to 20 meetings in the daytime. I keep my speeches short. Other party leaders step in, especially those who are not fasting, that I can save my energy,” Khan says. Four out of six candidates in the fray in Rampur are Muslims. In Saharanpur, eight of 10 candidates are Muslims. The Congress's candidate, Imran Masood, says he has a nap after sehri and eats a normal dinner. “My campaign is not hectic and I am keeping it low profile. I mostly hold indoor meetings with smaller gathering of voters (in the daytime), and in the evening after iftar,” Masood says. He prefers to be home at the time of namaz. “I don’t campaign at mosques. I never use a masjid for politics,” he argues. “Many people are coming to invite me for public meetings. But I hold only five to six small meetings and keep my speeches short. I avoid crowds and prefer interacting with voters while sitting comfortably.” Apart from door-to-door canvassing in the evenings, Masood prefers talking to the people over the phone till late in the night, when he and his party colleagues draw up the campaign plan for the next day. “The campaign will pick pace after Eid,” he says. The BSP's Moradabad candidate, Mohd Irfan Saifi, is among those who heads to big mosques in the constituency for namaz. “In the Ramzan period, it is easy to meet people at mosques. They know me,” says Saifi, who otherwise campaigns mostly in the evening. “I eat dates and bananas in sehri and take some rest afterwards,” he says. With the Ramzan drawing to a close, the candidates are readying to step up their campaign after Eid, after which top leaders of their parties are expected to join them for rallies in their constituencies. SP president Akhilesh Yadav is scheduled to address a rally in support of Mohibullah in Rampur, while BSP chief Mayawati is launching her campaign on April 13 from Uttarakhand's Haridwar, where her party's candidate is Jamil Ahmed. On April 14, Mayawati will address rallies in Saharanpur and Muzaffarnagar.
