BENGALURU: Even while the ‘religious identity’ hangs heavily on the political landscape, many of the candidates contesting the bypolls have gone ahead and erased the divide and are canvassing at all places of religious worship.
While Congress MLA aspirant Rizwan Arshad visited temples in Shivajinagar, Tanvir Ahmed of the JDS was also not far behind. He was seen outside temples, on Friday.
The BJP candidate M Saravana was also found doing the same. This is not just one constituency, but the same could be seen across constituencies.
The secular campaigning was seen outside masjids too, where candidates of all three parties and their supporters were seen outside mosques, idgahs, and dargahs. They met people after the Friday afternoon prayers, handed out pamphlets, and made assurances of change. These were mostly BJP candidates, who
shifted from the Congress or the JDS.
Congress leader B K Hariprasad told TNIE, “During the election campaign, candidates and their supporters go everywhere seeking voters. These so-called lines that divide should not matter.’’
BJP leader Go Madhusudhan said, “It is just drama. Neither the Hindus who are going to mosques nor the Muslims who are visiting temples are interested in the divine. They go there merely to please the voters.’’ He also said these are his personal views and not of the BJP.
A Congress leader, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the lifting of Article 370 and Ayodhya verdict did not impact the elections in Haryana and Maharashtra and is not being used for canvassing by the BJP here. “Our nation is essentially secular and local issues matter. Hence, everyone is concerned about local issues. How does it matter if someone goes to a temple or a mosque to connect with the voters?”
Political analyst Harish Bijoor said, “Secularism is an inherent part of our national fabric. Ultimately, the voter is supreme. How does it matter if we meet in a mosque or a temple?’’