Focus on BJP's outreach to Muslim women

The second phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh, involving 55 assembly constituencies across nine districts, will take place on Monday.

Districts in the fray are Saharanpur, Bijnor, Amroha, Moradabad, Sambhal, Badaun, Rampur, Bareilly and Shahjahanpur. Except Badaun and Shahjahanpur, the remaining seven districts have a significant Muslim population, hovering between 35% and 50%. In Sambhal, they constitute more than 75%.

The BJP has been highlighting the improved law and order situation, absence of riots and speedier disbursal of dues to sugarcane farmers. This is also the region where the 'Taliban' discourse has run the sharpest. In Saharanpur's Deoband, that houses the Darul-uloom Deoband seminary, an anti-terrorism squad unit was announced by the government, interestingly on the day the Taliban took over Afghanistan last year. This decision is being cited by CM Yogi Adityanath as a means to keep those who harbour 'Talibani' intentions in check, in a veiled attack on SP, whose MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq had made some pro-Taliban statements. At the same time, it has reached out to Muslim women by reiterating the anti-instant triple talaq law as well as the Centre's latest move to increase the marriageable age of women to 21 years. PM Modi's rally in Saharanpur on Thursday was especially centred around this.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has carefully chosen not to make announcements or statements about Muslims, and is making promises to strengthen local craft, for example, wood craft in Saharanpur, apart from the promises for farmers.

This phase will also test the hold of BJP on the non-Yadav OBC castes of Gangwars (Kurmi), Lodh Rajputs, Lodhis, Mauryas and others in Bareilly and Shahjahanpur.