BJP seeks to set caste equations right, woo Muslims through UP Council nominations

The BJP has sought to set the caste equations right and at the same time woo the Muslims ahead of next year's Lok Sabha polls through the nominations to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.

The state government has forwarded six names, which included Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Vice-Chancellor Prof Tariq Mansoor the son of prime minister Narendra Modi's former principal secretary Nripendra Mishra, to the governor for being nominated to the Council.

The nomination of Mansoor, who would be the fourth Muslim MLC of the saffron party in the 100-member Council, according to the BJP sources here, was part of the party's outreach to the Muslims ahead of the next general elections.

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''Mansoor's nomination is clearly an attempt by the BJP to shed its anti-Muslim image and send the message to the community that it is not against them as alleged by its political rivals,'' said a political analyst here while speaking to DH.

BJP has also said that it will give tickets to a 'sizable' number of Muslims in the forthcoming local urban body polls in the state. The saffron party has also been holding meetings with the Muslims in the minority dominated districts in the state in a bid to reach out to them.

The others, whose names had been forwarded, included Saket Mishra, who was the son Nripendra Mishra and hailed from 'Brahmin' community, Lalji Prasad Nirmal, who hailed from dalit community and Hansraj Vishwakarma, Ramsoorat Rajbhar (both OBCs).

Saket Mishra had sought a ticket to contest from the Shravasti Lok Sabha seat in the 2019 general elections but was denied a nomination.

BJP sources said that the nomination of Saket Mishra was an attempt to placate the electorally influential Brahmin community and at the same time keep his father Nripendra Mishra, who was an aspirant for the post of deputy chief minister, in good humour.