The ‘double promotion’ of former Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) vice chancellor Professor Tariq Mansoor, among the three doctors in the BJP national team from Uttar Pradesh, in a space of three months isn’t without reason. He was nominated as a member of the Uttar Pradesh legislative council (MLC) in April.
And his appointment as BJP national vice-president on Saturday came just a day after the extended law commission deadline for submitting suggestions on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) expired on Friday. The commission has got about 75 lakh (7.5 million) responses on UCC, say officials.
As the party gets ready for a series of discussions to forge a consensus on the contentious code, educated Muslims like Mansoor are going to come in handy in aiding the process of consultations among the community, BJP leaders said.
“More important, the outreach through educated community members could also help in thwarting opposition bid to incite the masses against the BJP by making selective disclosures,” a BJP leader said.
The BJP leaders said that through Mansoor, the party plans to increase engagement with educated Muslims, Pasmandas (backward class Muslims) in particular, to woo the influential minority vote bank.
Since the 2022 U.P. assembly poll win, the BJP has been working on elevating Pasmanda Muslims to key posts. That is the reason why Danish Azad Ansari, a Pasmanda, was made the minister of state for minority welfare and waqf department, the only Muslim face in the Yogi 2.0 ministry. Other key positions were also bagged by Pasmanda Muslims. For instance, Ashfaq Saifi became chairman of the UP Minority Commission. Iftikhar Javed was made chairman of the UP Board of Madrasa Education.
{{/usCountry}}Since the 2022 U.P. assembly poll win, the BJP has been working on elevating Pasmanda Muslims to key posts. That is the reason why Danish Azad Ansari, a Pasmanda, was made the minister of state for minority welfare and waqf department, the only Muslim face in the Yogi 2.0 ministry. Other key positions were also bagged by Pasmanda Muslims. For instance, Ashfaq Saifi became chairman of the UP Minority Commission. Iftikhar Javed was made chairman of the UP Board of Madrasa Education.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP fielded several Muslims, mostly Pasmandas, in the Uttar Pradesh urban local body polls held in May this year. Nearly 100 of them won from different wards of the state.
“All of this has helped raise the voice and visibility of the poorest of the poor, the most backward among Muslims who comprise nearly 85% of the community and yet have so far watched the ‘Ashraafs’ or elite, upper caste among Muslims, set the public political narrative. This needed to change and that’s what is now happening,” said Javed Malik, a BJP leader who heads the Akhil Bhartiya Pasmanda Muslim Manch.
Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Pasmanda outreach is also aimed in a big way to stop the Muslim vote from consolidating behind the opposition alliance, BJP leaders said.
“Don’t be surprised if more Muslims join the BJP in the run-up to 2024 Lok Sabha polls,” a BJP leader said.
“There is a view that being an educated Muslim, professor Mansoor could be helpful in connecting with the community, explaining sensitive topics like UCC and in demolishing myth of BJP not caring about the minorities,” a party leader said.
Some are dismissive of the BJP’s plan to woo Muslims.
Anees Mansoori, a former UP minister who heads an organisation called ‘Pasmanda Muslim Samaj’, said most Muslims in the BJP were sarkari Musalmaan, a term meant to indicate Muslims who lack credibility among the community.