BJP woos minorities in Okhla, Aam Aadmi Party gaining strength

During a roadshow in Muslim-dominated constituency of Seelampur, BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi explained that religion for her meant “humanity” and stressed on her ‘non-discriminatory’ policing in the past.

Missing in the former IPS officer’s address was any reference to either BJP or brand Modi.  
At least 20 kilometres away, the scene is not much different in another Muslim-dominated seat of Okhla.

The BJP here wants to shed its past image and is talking about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s anchored “new BJP” which offers opportunities to capable performers.

Campaigning through minority pockets lined up in Abul Fazal Enclave, Jamia Nagar, Batla House, Gaffar Manzil, BJP MP from Macchlishahr, UP, Ram Charitra Nishad, seeking votes for party candidate Brahm Singh Bidhuri, says he does not want to talk about “yesterday’s BJP that had moorings with affiliates including VHP but of today’s BJP.

It inducted Team Anna member Kiran Bedi and instantly projected her as its CM candidate because of her credible image”.

Similarly, he goes on to add, that the party accepted Brahm Singh Bidhuri of the BSP and next day gave him ticket to contest from Okhla.

“This BJP is a secular party. People from all sections voted for it, ensuring victory of all the seven party MPs. Modi credited 125 crore people and not specific Hindu communities for historic victory last year,” Nishad, who is poll in-charge of Okhla seat, boasted to Deccan Herald.   

The contest here is between Aam Aadmi Party’s Amanatullah Khan and BJP’s Brahm Singh Bidhuri, who had managed to get about 20,000 votes every election he contested on BSP ticket, starting from 2008 Assembly elections.

Sitting Congress MLA Asif Mohammed Khan, who had trounced Amanatullah 13 months back by more than 26,000 votes, appears to be finding the going tough given his party’s inability to put its act together after the resounding defeat in the 2014 Lok Sabha. 

Other than candidates from four recognised parties – BJP, Congress, AAP and BSP – four independents and one from a local outfit are in the fray to draw about two lakh voters’ attention in the polls here.

The minority community’s grudge that innocent Muslim youths were killed in Batla House encounter is no longer a dominant issue, as it was in 2009 by-polls which Asif Mohammed Khan had exploited to win the seat on Rashtriya Janata Dal platform. He  jumped over to Congress to emerge victorious again five years later.

A college student, Ashfaq Alam, who resides in Jamia Nagar, reluctantly shares after much prodding that he would vote for AAP, articulating feeling of his community that seems to be consolidating towards Arvind Kejriwal since they have limited option due to a weak Congress.

Chewing tobacco at a pan shop in Aali Vihar, Pervez Ahmad, interestingly, said that Muslims would vote for AAP which overtly does not seem to identify with minorities.

AAP Okhla manager Hamid Akhtar told this paper that his party candidate Amanatullah stands a better chance due to the fact that “public is looking for a face that would deliver.

And Kejriwal fits into that frame, unlike Modi who has been promising the moon but has not been able to bring down prices of essential commodities”.

Arguing that AAP’s fight is with Congress in Muslim-dominated areas and with BJP in Hindu-populated localities, Akhtar claimed minorities would vote en bloc for their party as they have given up the “wait and watch” policy they had adopted during Lok Sabha polls due to the Muzaffarnagar riots.