In this photograph taken on April 9, 2014, Chief Minister of the western Indian state of Gujarat and Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi (C) is showered with flower petals during his roadshow in Vadodara, some 110 kms from Ahmedabad, prior to filing his nomination papers for the forthcoming elections. PHOTO: AFP
With each passing day, the election campaign in India is certainly getting nerve-wrecking, as political parties including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), are playing every trick on the cards to woo the Muslim vote bank.
A few days ago BJPs’ Uttar Pradesh election campaign manager, Amit Shah stirred up a hornet’s nest through his inflammatory speech in a Hindu dominated region against Muslims. He was banned the by Election Commission of India to campaign in UP, only to be restored a day later.
On the other hand, the party president and senior leader, Rajnath Singh who is contesting elections from Lucknow, met top muslim clerics from the city and asked for their support during the elections.
The constituency of Lucknow has been a BJP stronghold since the 1990s and Vajpayee, who was elected for five consecutive parliamentary terms, is still the uncrowned king.
The BJP chief, Rajnath Singh is clearly aiming to cast himself in Vajpayee’s mould in this multi-religious constituency, seeking acceptability from all religions.
UP is a major player in national politics and also holds a large percentage of seats dominated by Muslims. Similarly, Lucknow has a 20% Muslim voter base which has to support BJP if they are to retain the constituency.
Ever since the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) fielded Bollywood actor and Muslim candidate Jaaved Jaaferi from Lucknow, several parties have sprung into action to weaken him by either fielding Muslim candidates or visiting every Muslim cleric.
Earlier, some Muslim clerics issued statements criticising Congress and urged the community not to vote for them. Now with their meetings with BJP, the party might surely relax and would not want to use its election campaign tag-line of ‘Abki Baar Modi Sarkar’ [this time, Modi’s government] in Lucknow.
BJP has not given a single ticket to a Muslim candidate in UP this time and has fielded only five Muslim candidates all over the country.
Uzair Hasan Rizvi is a journalism student at AJK MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India, He tweets @rizviuzair
Published in The Express Tribune, April 20th, 2014.
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It's shame, India is the only country in the world where Hindus of Hindustan are behind discriminated by grand design of Nehru and his Congress party. It's true to know that the first President (Governor General) of Pakistan was the grand son of a Gujarati Hindu and the first Prime Minister of India was a grand son of a Muslim Ghazi. It's time for BJP and Modi to retake the country from the corrupt Congress.
Dipak@ABKhan: Total lies are the signature of some people. Modi is the best thing ever happened to India. Sixty years of bogus Congress dynasty rule is coming to an end. The second independence of India is just around the corner.
It is the most natural thing, particularly in a vibrant democracy such as India's, to court voters across the board, notwithstanding their faith, social status, etc. Thus, it is not surprising for the average Indian that the BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi should also "knock at the door" of Muslims who, by virtue of their Indian citizenship, cast their votes as people of other faiths do. The title of this news report seems to have been given a religious slant by the paper of a country that thrives on fabricating and creating divisive lines in its eastern neighbor so that it can justify its own existence. But I am not surprised at the huge interest generated in Pakistan for the Indian election; after all, this is the world's biggest election involving 815 million voters in what is our planet's biggest democracy. How many times has Pakistan had free and fair elections in the past 60 years, and do Pakistani prime ministerial candidates ever "knock on the door" of Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and other minorities for votes?
Its a pity that people from Pakistan cannot vote Modi out. He is India's bet n most capable person to be PM. V are confident that a lot of drastics improvements n changes will take place in India in his leadership. V pray for is majority.
@antanu I didn't know a person running for elections asking votes from people in a democracy is epitome of characterless ness.
What's the fuss all about? If Indian politician don't ask votes from indians who will they ask from the Chinese?
@Krishnaswamy Now, Modi will get ready to embrace anybody who comes before him, now isn't that a good thing to do ?
This article is absolute NONSENSE!!!!. Neither BJP and Certainly not Modi will ever court muslims. BJP has already neutralized the muslim vote by creating a Hindu vote bank of its own. So muslims do not matter anymore. They are trying now to unite all other Indians on the plank of development.
@Salman: How will nuclear weapons help against armed insurgencies. That is the 4th generation warfare !!!! Moreover, India has a missile defense shield.
The reality is that only a tiny minority of Muslims would vote for the BJP. We will probably never know the exact numbers because of the poor quality of data on these matters. But what every Muslim knows - and others in minority communities - is that when Modi gives a speech not scripted by his PR agencies the hatred shines through. Sometimes there may be a local political dynamic which means that Muslims vote for a communal, anti-Muslim party, but in general the hope is that Muslims back the strongest secular party in each area.
@Salman....Nawaz and Zardari is enough to harm Pakistan....MNS is implementing the agenda of India by wakening the Army ..recent statements of it ministers..
pakistanis talking about rights...esp minority rights,and they claim their entertainment industry is a drowned kitten...though article after article proves otherwise
@Salman: ya, are you talking about the same uranium tuned plutonium born out of longdrawn violent erotic carnival between china and pakistan (in other words chinese donation) ??...if so what do we(indians) have, peppermint pills..unlike in pakistan we don't make them in grams,kilograms...we deal in Ktons....do you really wanted to deal with them
Well no hard feelings for modi. But India deserves a person who is progressive and understands country's economics. We need a couple of economic powers or more in this region. The benefits would be for all the countries in the region. Collaborative partnerships in the region would be a win-win-win-win for all
@Salman: India does not need to harm you, you are doing great by yourself. Try using the nukes on the TTP
@Lunacyassailam: That is just Pakistani media exaggeration. Modi nor India can harm Pakistan in anyway because they are not stupid to realize that Pakistan too has nuclear arsenal. So stop propagating Indian losers.
The thirst for power knows no race or religion.
Looking at the 2 comments above, it appears that this is a case of "Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't."
Anyway these are our Indian Muslim brethren. Beats me why Pakistanis are getting riled up.
@ABKhan What about 100's of Hindus in Pakistan , who were finished ?? . on Gujarat riots SIT by supreme court has given verdict. Do even an investigation happens in Pakistan?
Indian Muslims should vote for Modi.
Muslim killer is asking for their votes now. Strange world. Gujrat's bodies are still burning Modi!!!!!
Don't be surprised if Modi visits a Pir's shrine. With a bereaved tortured look. And maybe even pray or prostrate himself in his just laundered dhoti and kurta. Showing solidarity with his Muslim brethren.
Pakistanis pants are getting twisted by the very advance of this guy.Because they know, next is them.