On the last day of the campaign in Uttarakhand, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s announcement to initiate the process of implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) if voted to power could reap the benefit in the crucial assembly polls, feel ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders. Uttarakhand will vote two days later, on Monday.
In a video message, released on Saturday, the CM said, “BJP government will form a committee to prepare a draft of UCC in the state, soon after swearing-in. Irrespective of the faith, the UCC will cover and pave a way for similar law as regards to marriage, divorce, land-property.”
The CM’s announcement for Uniform Civil Code has come on a day when star campaigners — Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi — are in Uttarakhand to canvass for their party candidates.
It is pertinent to mention that no Indian state has so far enacted UCC. Goa, however, had adopted Common Civil Code which legal experts had termed different from UCC.
Earlier this week, Union minister Giriraj Singh advocated for the UCC amid a row over the Hijab ban controversy. UCC is one of the core issues of BJP and it prominently figured in the party manifesto during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
As per the 2011 census, Uttarakhand has nearly 14% Muslim population and another 2.95% are Sikh, Buddhist, Jain and Christians. Muslim voters play a crucial role in more than 12 assembly seats in the plain terrain, including in Haridwar district and CM Dhami’s home district Udham Singh Nagar. Out of total of 70 assembly seats, these two districts have 20 seats and in the 2017 assembly polls BJP had won 16 seats.
“The demand for the Uniform Civil Code is not something new. We welcome the chief minister’s announcement on UCC and what’s wrong if people vote for us on this issue,” said Suresh Joshi, BJP’s spokesperson when asked whether the move is aimed at luring voters.
There is a bipolar contest between BJP and Congress in most of the seats in the state. There is a close fight between both the parties in a couple of seats and therefore for both of them, every single seat matters.
Learning from the last assembly polls when Congress witnessed strong polarization in favour of BJP, the grand old party this time has been trying to maintain equilibrium as far as its political approach towards majority and minority voters is concerned.
Party spokesperson Garima Dasauni questioned the chief minister’s announcement for UCC on the juncture of elections.
“BJP got overwhelmed support in the last elections. For the last five years, they were sitting comfortably and suddenly now talking about UCC. Voters understand the motive behind it,” said Dasauni. However, Congress skipped the question, whether it supports UCC.
In the second phase of polling on coming Monday, besides Uttarakhand, polling for 55 seats in 11 districts of western Uttar Pradesh will also be held. The Uttarakhand CM’s promise for UCC could play a ‘catalyst’ in west UP too, feel BJP leaders.
UCC has had been one of the contentious topics in the political sphere. In 1985, the apex court had mentioned UCC while hearing Shah Bano’s case. From time to time UCC context came during the debate in the apex court. In 2019, while hearing a case related to the guardianship of a child, the court had expressed disappointment over the lack of UCC.
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