Uttar Pradesh with the largest population in the country has had a significant influence over national politics. There the election is held for 80 Lok Sabha seats while the legislative assembly has 403 seats. The so-called nationalists, in other words communal elements, have transformed the state into a communally sensitive state for their political gains. It must be noted that assembly elections in the state will be held next year. The ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) is gearing up for elections from now itself, to repeat 2012 elections. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) which lost power in 2012 is also trying not to leave any stone unturned.
As far as BJP is concerned its leaders are trying to grab votes of Hindu backward classes with their communal slogans. BJP leadership and its patron RSS are sure that BJP, on the basis of its religious and communal agenda, will not only polarize voters in its favour but will neutralize Muslim votes by fielding various parties in the elections. Its plan is to divide Muslim votes among Congress, SP and BSP as was done in 2014 parliamentary elections.
It must be noted that the Muslim population of Uttar Pradesh is 20 percent and Muslim voters can play key role in 300 constituencies out of 403 assembly constituencies. Muslims’ powerful stand can be comprehended by the number of Muslim members in UP assembly. Muslim members in UP assembly are 64 including 4 of Peace Party of India. PPI won 4 seats while contesting for the first time in 2012 assembly elections while SP won 224, BSP 80, Congress 28 and BJP just 47 seats.
According to political analysts BJP wishes to implement its plan of dividing Muslims votes in proposed assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh as it did in 2014 general elections. And this mission of BJP will be accomplished by ‘Jai Meem, Jai Bheem’ slogan raised from Hyderabad. It must be recalled that a day before MIM supremo Asaduddin Owaisi had announced that his party would take the plunge in UP state assembly elections with the new slogan with the slogan of ‘Jai Meem, Jai Bheem’ which signifies the unity of Muslims and Dalit. Alleging that the Samajwadi Party and the BJP were the two sides of the same coin Owaisi said that he had been denied permission to hold rally anywhere in the state during the last four years because the Samajwadi party government is scared of the growing popularity of the MIM in UP.
However political pundits believe that fielding MIM in UP assembly elections aims at diving Muslim votes. Dividing Muslims votes means BSP, SP’s loss and BJP’s gain. In 2014 elections also BJP won 71 seats out of 80 parliamentary sets. In this background Jai Meem Jai Bheem slogan will help neutralize Muslim votes which will directly benefit BJP. Hence Muslims of UP must beware of the conspiracies being hatched to divide Muslim votes. They must differentiate between their real sympathizers and BJP’s cat’s paws.