Another firstIJ BJP circles in Bhopal believe if everything goes as per plan, the party will have sizeable Muslim corporators elected in the Bhopal Municipal Corporation.
The BJP has fielded 10 Muslim candidates and making all out efforts to make them victorious. This is for the first time in the municipal polls that the saffron party has fielded so many Muslim candidates. On the contrary, the Congress has fielded 18 Muslim candidates in different wards.
BJP sources claimed that the party lacks good Muslim leaders in the State Capital and thus in the exercise to get good leadership, senior leaders have decided to get most of them emerge victorious in the elections scheduled for January 31.
In the Assembly elections held last year, wanting a new and young leader, the saffron party had to nominate former Union Minister Arif Beig, who was defeated by Congress MlA Arif Aqeel. Party insiders feel that the BJP did not make any earnest effort towards the victory of Beig.
However, this time, sensing the inclination of the Chief Minister towards the minorities, the party is making all out efforts to campaign in favour of Muslim candidates.
It has also come to the fore that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has also asked its volunteers to work in favour of Muslim candidates. They have been given responsibility of bringing more and more Hindu voters in those wards so that these candidates emerge victorious.
There was rebellion by Hindu leaders too in these wards, but the BJP made efforts and forced them to withdraw their nominations. The Congress has fielded Muslim candidates against these 10 BJP candidates, but the BJP leaders feel that with the help of Hindu voters in those wards, the party nominees would win.
Notably, only once, Muslim leader Bilkis had represented the saffron party in the BMC.
Regarding the steps being taken by the RSS, Bhopal’s Prant Sah-karyavahak Hemant Muktiboth told ‘The Pioneer’ that like previous two elections, the Sangh volunteers are working in the city to ensure that maximum voting is done.