2016: BJP brainstorming minority factor in Assam

Minority Morcha working overtime to woo Muslims

BY Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, June 13: Not content with the induction of 2.5 lakh people from the minority community during its enrolment drive, Assam BJP is hoping that in the run-up to the 2016 Assembly elections, more members from the community will embrace the party.

Aware that minority votes are a deciding factor in at least 40 of the 126 Assembly constituencies, the party's minority cell has begun a series of brainstorming sessions in a bid to woo the community.

The party's Minority Morcha chief Abdul Rashid Ansari today chaired a convention in the city in presence of senior party leaders, including Union minister Sarbanda Sonowal. The Minority Morcha has been vigorously active in the last few months.

"We have enrolled over 25 lakh new members in Assam, of which only 2.5 lakh are from the minority community. Of course, the figure should have been much higher. If the party has to win, it needs to rope in more members from the minority community. There are six to eight months time left…," said an insider of the party.

On an average, each Assembly constituency in the State has around 1.5 lakh voters. The total electorate of Assam numbers more than 1.87 crore. Muslim voters constitute about 35 per cent of the electorate.

Officially, the party seems confident that minorities are increasingly beginning to favour it. But at the same time, party leaders claim there is a misinformation campaign to create a negative image of the party among the minorities. "A lot of misinformation is being spread to incite fear among the minorities. But the people are eventually realizing the truth," Ansari said.

Assam Minority Morcha president Mominul Aawal claimed that more and more minorities are coming to the BJP because of its "tiolism ideals". "In Assam, the minorities will definitely play a deciding role in the next elections. We are hopeful that they will not be dissuaded by the commul politics of Ajmal (AIUDF). The people are already fed-up with the Congress," Aawal said.

He said the rendra Modi government has sanctioned Rs 502 crore for minority development in 118 blocks of the State.

State BJP president Siddhartha Bhattacharjee also said that more and more members of minority communities are reposing faith in the BJP. "Earlier, there were very less members from the community in the party. You can see the change in the enrolment now," he said.