New Delhi: With an objective to increase its presence among minorities, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is planning to reach out to backward Muslims in a bigger way.
The BJP is also planning to identify individuals among the backward Muslim community for leadership role in the party and government as a trust building measures to draw maximum benefits in the upcoming assembly polls and ultimately general elections 2024.
The saffron party believes that the most of the votes its gets are from the backward Muslim communities who are also beneficiaries of many welfare schemes of the union and party ruled state governments.
A senior party leader told IANS that in recent Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, the BJP had got around five to seven per cent Muslim votes and majority of them belong to backward castes of the community.
“During recent Uttar Pradesh assembly polls backward Muslim communities who are benefitted from PM Awas Yojna, PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana which provided free ration, Ujjwala Yojana and others schemes had voted for the BJP. These Muslims, especially the backward, are openly supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and now we are planning to further consolidate their support by reaching out to backward Muslims across the country,” he said.
The BJP feels that winning support of new vote bank ahead of next general election will further strengthen party position in 2024 polls.
“For next Lok Sabha polls, we are planning get more than 50 per cent vote share and it can achieved only by increasing party acceptance among new communities. Backward Muslims in one of such community,” another party leader said.
According to the party estimates, there is around 85 per cent backward Muslim population across the country.
Another functionary of the BJP said that given the large population, which holds the key in electoral politics, the party is also planning to groom young new faces and hand over leadership roles to leaders from backward or Pasmanda Muslims.
The functionary added that the top leadership is aware of the matter and may soon start working on it and appropriate representation to backward class people will be given in future.
“Appointment of Danish Azad Ansari as minister in second term of Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is part of party’ plans to give leadership role to backward Muslim. More leaders from backward Muslim communities will be given different leadership role in different position in future,” he said.
Another party leader said that like other backward communities in Hindu, which is turning out to be a major vote-bank, the BJP is now focusing on backward communities of Muslim to expand its reach ahead of the next parliamentary election.
(IANS)
