In a boost to the BJP’s Muslim outreach program ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will on Monday launch the campaign for the Urban Local Body (ULB) elections from Saharanpur. The party is set to bring together its 14 Muslim candidates during the meeting.
The chief minister will address three rallies in Saharanpur, Shamli and Amroha – all of which fall in West UP district, which is home to Darul Uloom Deoband, the largest Islamic seminary in the country.
The development can be seen as a major demonstration of the minority outreach of the saffron outfit as the Bharatiya Janata Party has significantly increased tickets to Muslims in ULB elections.
Who are Pasmanda Muslims?
Pasmanda Muslims are considered part of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) in India, which includes the economically and socially backward members of the community. like otherwise In the Hindus system (which divides the society into Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras), Muslims in India are broadly classified into three social groups.
There are three categories of Muslims:
• Ashraf (‘noble’ or ‘honorable people’)
• Ajlaf (Backward Muslims)
• Arzal (Dalit Muslim)
Ashraf: They are a traditionally dominant social group that scholars believe trace their lineage back to Muslim conquerors or were high-caste Hindus who converted to Islam long ago. This group includes upper caste converts like Syed, Mughal, Pathan or Rangad (Muslim Rajput) or Taga (Tyagi Muslim).
Ajlaf and Arzal: The two groups are collectively known as Pasmanda, a Persian word meaning “left behind”. This term is used for OBC Muslims. Many experts believe that these groups were given a low status in the community because they were part of the local population that later converted to Islam. Various reports state that many of these families took the name of their occupations such as ‘Ansari (weaver)’ or ‘Qureshi (butcher)’.
However, there is no consensus among scholars on the origin of this social stratification as Islam does not recognize any caste. The division is said to have been adopted among local Muslim societies in some South Asian countries as a result of proximity to Hindu culture.
Read this also | Yogi Adityanath to News18: My relationship with Muslims is same as they have with me
BJP’s plan for ULB elections
Out of 70 wards of Saharanpur Municipal Corporation, 17 wards are dominated by Muslims. Out of these 17, the BJP has fielded candidates from minority communities in 14 wards, which is undoubtedly a four-fold increase. according to a report in times of IndiaThis number is also proportionate to the average Muslim population in the state, which is 20 percent.
The party has also fielded Muslim faces in minority-dominated districts like Shamil, Amroha, Rampur and Bareilly. It has also given tickets to Muslims at the ward level in Varanasi.
Political experts believe that the BJP’s emphasis on a Muslim outreach scheme in these urban local bodies with a population of 4.85 crore is an interesting experiment. Uttar Pradesh now has 762 urban local bodies, which is 109 more than in 2017, including 17 mayoral seats, 200 municipal councils and 545 nagar panchayats. In many of them the party has been holding ‘Pasmanda Muslim’ meetings – both big and small.
A TOI report quoted BJP’s Saharanpur (metro) district president Rakesh Jain as saying that all 14 Muslim candidates have been asked to be present at CM Yogi’s rally.
He said that in the remaining three Muslim-dominated wards, the party has fielded Hindu candidates after considering all political equations. “We are expecting a good turnout at CM Yogi’s rally,” Jain was quoted as saying.
Saharanpur SP, BSP, Congress candidates
Both SP and BSP have fielded Muslim candidates for the post of Saharanpur mayor. Samajwadi Party has fielded Noor Hasan Malik, while Khadija Masood will contest on BSP ticket. Khadija is a relative of former Congress strongman Imran Masood, who joined the BSP earlier this year. The Congress has fielded senior advocate Pradeep Verma.
CM Yogi’s plan for West UP trip
The chief minister will address a rally at Maharaj Singh Degree College, which is located in the heart of the city in the Saharanpur Municipal Assembly constituency. It is expected that CM Yogi will decide the direction of BJP’s campaign in the body elections, which are considered to be the semi-finals of next year’s Lok Sabha elections.
At 1:15 pm, the CM’s helicopter will land at the helipad of Rashtriya Kisan Post Graduate College, after which he will go to VV Post Graduate College in Shamli and attend a public meeting. After this he will fly to Amroha at around 3.10 pm.
read all latest politics news Here