Largescale violence likely in UP to stop Muslim votes
Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi
The Centre has expressed its deep apprehension over a threat
of largescale violence in Uttar Pradesh designed to prevent
Muslims from voting.
Union Home Minister Indrajit Gupta has sent a note
to UP Chief Minister Kalyan Singh apprising him of
intelligence reports that violence is likely in UP's
Muslim-dominated
parliamentary constituencies.
He has offered to send additional
contingents of paramilitary forces to deal with any eventuality,
and sought details about the
law and order arrangements in the
violence-prone state.
Sources said home ministry intelligence had
gathered that an elaborate plan was chalked out to
discourage
the Muslim voters from exercising their franchise. Gupta is determined
to ensure that there are no impediments to keep the minority community
from voting.
Kalyan Singh, who acknowledged the receipt of the note, is yet to
respond to the Centre.
Gupta, sources said, has identified 32 parliamentary
constituencies in the volatile state where violence is anticipated.
The Muslim voters in these constituencies,
in case they vote, could effectively tilt the balance against
the Bharatiya Janata Party. In the last election, the BJP secured
most of the 32 seats, thanks to the split in the non-BJP votes
between the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party.
Political observers say that unlike last time, the BJP
is desperate to woo the minority community since the
percentage of Muslim votes in UP
is expected to be as high as 80 to 90 % this time.
The Congress and SP, for their part, are understood to have begun
negotiations in order to avoid any split
in the 'secular' votes.
The non-BJP parties, thus, are 'retiring' each other's candidates
in various constituencies so that they can derive maximum benefit
from their respective
strength.
The Election Commission is keenly monitoring
the situation.
Meanwhile, some Muslim intellectuals under Muslim Personal
Law Board president Maulana Ali Miyan are taking steps to
avoid a split in the anti-BJP votes
in Bihar, Rajasthan and UP, and have issued an appeal
to the voters. They had discussed the matter with
SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Congress president
Sitaram Kesri.
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