As part of his strategy to reach out beyond his core Hindu constituency after his Sadbhavana fast, Narendra Modi and his team carefully mulled over giving party ticket to a Muslim candidate in the forthcoming state elections but finally decided not to do so. Some of his team members believed that fielding a Muslim candidate would soften his anti-Muslim image but some thought it could alienate BJP’s core Hindutva constituency. Sources say that Modi backslid thinking that the symbolic gesture may confuse the majority who see Modi as a savior of the Hindus. Keeping Gujarat’s majority sentiments in mind Modi vetoed the plan.
When talking in public Modi talks of bettering the lives of “six crore Gujaratis” which include all religious groups but when it comes to election strategy it is his Hindutva ideology which prevails. Modi also shrink from giving ticket to a Muslim because the newly floated GPP has also done the same if Modi gives ticket to Muslim candidate his core constituency would drift towards GPP. In short Modi and his team don’t believe in appeasement of Muslims at the cost of winnability.