It was the third week of January this year and the national capital was reeling under a cold wave. But away from the Delhi chill, inside Ambedkar auditorium where the BJP National Executive was being held, the saffron party had his eyes set on next year’s summer — when India elects its next government. It was during this two-day session that Prime Minister Narendra Modi told BJP leaders to reach out to minorities, particularly a section of Muslims.
The BJP machinery immediately sprang into action and identified 65 minority-dominated Lok Sabha seats where they would reach out to them. Now, News18 has learnt that the party is all set to enter its next stage this year-end. With early few months left for the general elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address as many as 1 lakh minorities, particularly Muslims, in the heart of Delhi.
When & Where will the Public Reach Out Take Place?
PM Modi is likely to address this mega minority gathering either in November or in December, News 18 has learnt. There are multiple locations that are being shortlisted but very few options are left, which can accommodate 1 lakh public and also centrally located. So, there is a high probability that this minority reach out will be held at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi.
“We are trying to make this happen either in November or in December. One lakh individuals from the minorities will be brought into Delhi who are likely to be addressed by the Prime Minister himself. Since, it involves massive logistical planning, BJP has already started homework,” told Jamal Siddique, president of the BJP’s Minority Morcha, to News18.
Siddique added that these 1 lakh individuals will be ‘Modi Mitra’ (friends of Modi), a campaign through which the BJP strives to target 5,000 minorities each who are influenced by the governance of Modi Sarkar in 65 minority-dominated Lok Sabha constituencies.
But bringing 1 lakh individuals to Delhi is not an easy job and the BJP is mindful of that. That’s why Siddique said, “We will bring them on the morning of the event so that there is no logistical concern of overnight stay. They will be directly taken to the venue. As soon as the Prime Minister’s address is over, they will be guided back to their respective hometowns.”
For Votes or Inclusivity?
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked BJP leaders to reach out to Pasmanda Muslims, the Bohra community, Muslim professionals, and educated Muslims this January, his advice was not to see this from the prism of electoral wins. His words were clear — BJP leaders should make this minority connect without expecting them to translate into votes.
But come this year-end, is the scheduled gala minority reach out also for the BJPs proverbial ‘sabka sath, sabka Vishwas’? If BJP leaders are to be believed, they are indeed looking to translate the nationwide minority reach out into votes, notwithstanding Prime Minister’s suggestion. Siddique has a simple reasoning, “We are a political party. We are not an NGO”.
Stressing the politics of it, Siddique said, he will request the Prime Minister to cover some contentious issues like the Unified Civil Code in his speech. “They used to say there will be a blood bath if Article 370 is abrogated. Nothing happened when it actually was let go. The BJP expects the opposition to build a fake narrative over UCC, given recent developments. So, we want the Prime Minister himself to clarify to them,” he adds.
The saffron party puncturing its ‘anti-minority’ image had won 41 out of 79 Lok Sabha constituencies across 90 districts in the 2019 Lok Sabha election that the UPA-I government had identified to be having a minority population of over 25%. Not just that. A survey conducted by the Pew Research Centre back then also found that one out of five Muslims in India had voted for the BJP in 2019.
Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the BJP now wants to better its tally when it comes to minority-dominated seats, through such mega outreach among communities. Then who better than fielding its biggest star campaigner — Prime Minister Narendra Modi?
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