BJP garners Muslim support in big way

Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav have all reasons to be upset with the Uttar Pradesh poll results. Not only their parties failed to return to power, the BJP secured massive victories in Muslim dominated areas – where SP and BSP parties used to enjoy lead in previous polls.

From all six constituencies of riot-hit Muzaffarnagar to Deoband in Saharanpur, Bareilly, Bijnor and Moradabad where Muslims dominate the demography, the BJP swept the polls. Though the voting percentage is yet to come, Mayawati has alleged tampering of EVMs by the BJP, saying even the 'Muslims votes have gone to the saffron party which is unacceptable.'

Well, how true is Mayawati's allegation will be probed by the Election Commission. But if Muslims have cast their vote in favour of BJP, it is a big achievement for Narendra Modi and Amit Shah who are accused of marginalising the minorities. And the result in this region seems to be a big blow to the appeasement politics of the ruling SP and the BSP.

After the 2013 communal riots in Muzaffarnagar that saw the killing of over 60 people, there was a massive polarisation between the two communities. And in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Hindus voted for the BJP. The Muslims on the other hand were pained by the inaction of the Akhilesh Yadav government. The young chief minister was strongly condemned by the Muslim community for ignoring their plight. The images of Akhilesh with Bollywood stars in Safai Mahotsav when Muzaffarnagar was buring seems to have done maximum damage to the SP.

And that gave Mayawati's BSP, whose social engineering of bringing together Brahim and Dalit voters in 2007 polls saw her party storming to power, an opportunity to get Muslim voters in combination with Dalits on her side. But with Akhilesh emerging as the young face of development in UP, the Muslims were not very sure of going with Behenji.