LUCKNOW: Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has toured extensively in the 13 districts of the Muslim dominated western UP region which is to go to the polls on Tuesday. Despite knowing that this minority community has little apathy for it, the BJP leadership sent its senior leader to mobilise their votes in favour of the party candidates and send a positive message that it does not ignores them.
The sixth phase of the Assembly polls would decide the fate of nearly 1,000 candidates in the fray for 68 seats. Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Meeruth, Aligarh, Agra and Bulandshahr are some of the districts which have a decisive presence of Muslims in many seats.
With a population of 20 crore, Muslims play a crucial role in the entire state and hence the Congress has played the minority reservation card this time to woo them.
Traditionally, since the Independence Muslims have been supporting the Congress, but the community deserted the party following the demolition of Babrji Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.
To revive the sagging fortunes of the party, the Congress played the reservation card. To further bolster the party’s prospects, the Congress tied up with the Rashtriya Lok Dal, which enjoys influence over the dominant Jats, and besides wooing senior Muslim leader Rashid Masood from the rival Samajwadi Party.
BJP leader Naqvi, during his campaigning in the western UP, propagating the achievements of the Gujarat Government in providing maximum jobs to Muslims as compared to any other states and that too without any special reservation for them.
He also said that no communal riots had been reported in Gujarat since the past 10 years. The BSP has fielded 85 Muslim candidates and its Muslim face Nasimuddin Siddiqui has extensively campaigned in this belt.