To halt AAP, BJP will woo Muslims

Kartik Krushnapaksha Dwitiya, Kaliyug Varsha 5116

NEW DELHI – Ahead of assembly elections, Delhi BJP plans to reach out to the city’s Muslims who are seen as a Congress vote bank. As part of its membership drive, the party will organize special programmes in Muslim dominated areas, including riot-hit Trilokpuri and communally sensitive Bawana and Okhla, starting from November 12 to tell people about its development agenda.

Ever since Congress’ rout in Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been trying hard to win over the minority community . Such a swing would hamper BJP’s chances in Delhi. In the 2013 elections, Congress had won four of the six constituencies with a strong Muslim representation. BJP is trying to prevent AAP from making inroads there by harping on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s development agenda. It also plans to tell people about AAP’s failures during its 49 days in government.

“We want the Muslim community to know about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision. We want people to know that BJP stands for development,” said Atif Rasheed, head of Delhi BJP’s minority cell. “In our membership drive we will tell people about the prompt response of the central government and the Delhi administration in controlling the Trilokpuri riots and defusing tension in other communally charged areas.”

The membership drive will be carried out in areas like Trilokpuri, Mustafabad, Okhla and Seelampur, among others.

BJP’s minority cell has been working hard to connect with Muslims since the 2013 assembly elections. Rasheed says there has been a change in perception, proved by the increase in BJP’s vote share in Muslim majority areas. “In Okhla, BJP got 22,000 votes in the assembly elections and 39,000 in the Lok Sabha elections. It is clear that people voted for development.”

BJP members say their party workers helped Delhi Police defuse tension in Trilokpuri.

“The AAP MLA was nowhere to be seen when riots erupted in Trilokpuri,” said Virendra Sachdeva, president of Delhi BJP’s Mayur Vihar district.”Everyone will benefit from our development agenda. As for AAP, we will tell people about what they did,” Sachdeva added.

Source : Times of India