BJP banks on Turks, Pathans to win Rampur

The BJP has been carrying out a focused outreach programme for Pasmanda or Dalit and backward Muslims across Uttar Pradesh but for Rampur bypoll it is counting on the upper caste Muslims-Pathans and Turks.

The party has been carrying out Pasmanda Sammelans in different parts of the state for over a month. Earlier this month it held a similar meet in Rampur which was attended by deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak. However, sources said the community, with its entrenched religious beliefs and suspicion towards BJP, is tough to win over and the party’s mission to earn their support is a long termed one, aimed at 2024 polls.

“BJP will win Rampur but not because of Pasmanda Muslims. While there will be an increase in support from them, it is largely the upper caste Muslims who have thrown their weight behind the party there," Basit Ali, chief of BJP's minority wing in UP told ET. Turk Muslims claim a Turkic descent and are found in large numbers in the Rampur-Sambhal-Moradabad region with senior SP MP from Sambhal Shafiq-ur-Rehman Barq being a prominent representative of the community.

There are more than 1.5 lakh Muslim voters in the Rampur assembly seat. However, 60% of the Muslims are from upper castes- Pathans, Turks and others. Over the last few days, some influential Muslims such as Nawab Kazim Ali Khan who is known to be an arch rival of Azam, have extended their support to BJP's candidate Akash Saxena.

Some Pasmanda activists, however, say in the Rampur Lok Sabha bypolls, Pasmanda Muslims in the area chose to "boycott" the elections in large numbers as they did not want to vote for the SP but could not have voted for the BJP as well. Nesar Ahmed, UP incharge of the All India Pamanda Muslim Mahaz told ET that while the SP claimed Muslims were had been pressurised by the administration, the truth is a large part of the community had actually boycotted the elections as they did not want to vote for Azam Khan's aide Asim Raza and has also been feeling alienated by the SP and this trend may repeat itself in the upcoming bypolls too.

Meanwhile, in Muzaffarnagar's Khatauli assembly bypolls, where too, more than 75,000 Muslims hold sway, the party is looking at a ten fold increase in Muslim votes since the last assembly elections. "In Vidhan sabha polls we got around 1000-1200 votes but this time around we are looking at garnering 10,000-12,000 votes," said Ali.