Amit Shah on why BJP has not fielded Muslim candidate in Assembly elections

As the fiercely fought Assembly elections in five states crawl closer to the end, Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah has reasoned "winnability" as a factor for not fielding any Muslim candidate in the ongoing polls.

"Our ticket distribution is on the basis of winnability. If the media creates a wedge between the minorities and BJP, and as it intensifies, there will not be any candidate who can win. We do hope that this gap ends…," Shah, who is spearheading the elections for the BJP, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, said when asked about the lack of any Muslim names in his party's candidate list.

"If you ask the question, ‘Is there any family left out of the scheme?’, that gap would have been narrowed. But you ask ‘Ticket mila kya?…" he remarked in an interview with The Indian Express.

Also read: UP polls: How diminished are BJP's returns after phase five

In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP is desperate to retain power under the leadership of chief minister Yogi Adityanath. The party is banking on developmental and infrastructure projects to highlight progress under the Adityanath regime. Besides, BJP is keen on cornering Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party, through claims of monumental change in the law and order situation in the state.

UP is also crucial for the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, as the state mandate is largely seen as a precursor to the Lok Sabha elections, to be held in 2024. "If anyone wants to form a government with full majority at the Centre, it cannot be without Uttar Pradesh’s mandate," Shah said.

Shah, considered the No. 2 leader after the PM, also said that no caste group in Uttar Pradesh has drifted away from the BJP. "In Uttar Pradesh, no one can claim ownership of votes of any particular community. Every voter decides individually," he said.

Many prominent leaders in the BJP have also attacked Akhilesh's SP for allegedly being soft on terrorists. BJP chief J P Nadda has called SP supporter of "anti-nationals." However, Shah maintained that the party did not call anybody in the opposition anti-nationals. "We never called anyone anti-national. We never called any party anti-national. But if any party indulges in supporting anti-nationals, we will expose them. It’s our responsibility," he told the newspaper.

On the progress front, Shah said that the government's free ration and other such schemes were to help people who were hit badly by the Covid-19 pandemic. As many as 80 crore families relied on free ration, indicating a dire situation on the employment front.

The home minister said the government has improved the employment situation. "Do not look at the job sector like Communists, who consider only government jobs as employment. This is not correct. There is a difference between jobs and employment. We have improved the employment situation. It’s natural that people talk about jobs. But you have to understand the difference – there are so many startups, we have improved the e-marketing opportunities," he said.

"When you take populist measures, you promise to pay electricity bills, free gas etc. What we did was to provide help to upgrade their lives — this is empowerment," he said.

Uttar Pradesh will vote in two more phases, on March 3 and March 7, and the votes will be counted on March 10.

Shah also said that people have confidence in Modi. "The anger comes out when people do not have confidence in the leadership they have. But people have confidence in Prime Minister Modi. They may express anger, but they trust Modiji’s intention. That confidence will help us win this election in Uttar Pradesh," he said.

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