Division of Muslim votes may help BJP in Rohailkhand area

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh’s Rohailkhand area, where the large number of Muslim votes often decide which way the pendulum swings, surprised observers on Thursday by posting a record 62.69 per cent turnout, up from 55.09 per cent in 2009. The fate of most districts in this belt is controlled by Muslim votes with the community making up almost half of all voters in Rampur (held currently by former Bollywood star Jaya Prada who won as an SP candidate but later walked out with Amar Singh), 41 per cent in Moradabad (represented by former Indian cricket captain Mohammed Azharuddin of Congress who has shifted base to Rajasthan this year), 38 per cent in Amroha, 29 per cent in Bareilly, 28 per cent in Sambhal and 21 per cent in Shahjahanpur.

Major parties here have vied with each other to field Muslim candidates. The BSP has fielded the most — six Muslim candidates, in Moradabad, Rampur, Sambhal, Budayun, Amroha and Pilibhit. The ruling SP has put up Muslim candidates in Moradabad, Rampur, Sambhal, Amroha and Bareilly, while Congress too has fielded four Muslim candidates in Moradabad, Rampur, Bareilly and Kheri.

“There’s traditionally been a high turnout of Muslim votes in this area, but this year’s extraordinary numbers could hint at a more enthusiastic Hindu turnout,” said Sudhir Panwar of Lucknow University. Suresh Chand, associate professor at KGK College in Moradabad, felt that while western UP polls saw voting on Hindu-Muslim lines, this phase was marked by voting on party lines.