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Campaigning ends but Muslim voters cold to BJP wooing in Khatauli, Rampur
Like in previous elections, the BJP roped in its ministers, state president, chief minister in the campaign to woo voters.
Canvassing ended for by-elections in Khatauli and Rampur constituencies on Saturday and voters cast their votes on Monday to elect their new representatives for the state Assembly. The result will be declared on December 8.
Like in previous elections, the BJP roped in its ministers, state president, chief minister in the campaign to woo voters.
RLD chief Jayant Choudhary was camping in Khatauli constituency to ensure victory of RLS-SP and ASP alliance candidate Madan Bhaiya against BJP’s Rajkumari Saini. Rajkumari is the wife of the party’s disqualified MLA, Vikram Saini, after he was convicted by a court in the Muzaffarnagar riots case.
In Rampur, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Bhim Army chief Chandrashekher Azad addressed an election rally in support of the alliance candidate Aasim Raza who is a confidante of the SP leader and former minister Azam Khan.
Khan is the main campaigner for Raza and two more cases were registered against him for using offensive language. He blamed the district administration and police for their high-handedness against supporters of Samajwadi Party.
However, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said that those who use foul language face people’s ire. Here, the BJP has projected Azam Khan as a villainous character from their own community who grabbed and destroyed some unique identity and recognition of Rampur.
The BJP is confident that after winning the by-election for the MP it will also emerge victorious in the citadel of Azam Khan from where he won the previous 10 elections.
In Khatauli, the BJP’s claim of improved law and order was major plank of publicity during the campaign. State party president Bhupendra Choudhary, union minister Sanjeev Baliyan, deputy chief minister Brijesh Pathak, chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi campaigned in support of the party candidate. They also made the tainted background of RLD-SP candidate Madan Bhaiya an issue to woo voters into their fold. But in a counter attack, RLD leaders questioned “Why don’t they tell people about the conviction of their MLA Saini?”.
BJP is projecting Saini’s conviction as his sacrifice for raising a voice for Hindutva and on other hand rival RLD and SP are propagating the issue of ‘Bhaichara (communal harmony) among people, accusing the BJP of indulging in divisive politics.
Khatauli and Rampur constituencies also have common thoughts that in both constituencies Muslim voters are in the majority, therefore, they play a decisive role.
BJP leaders are trying to woo them by reminding them how the government has provided them benefits of different welfare schemes. However, under the prevailing politics of polarisation, a majority of Muslim voters don’t seem convinced by the pleas of BJP leaders.
