BSP remains relevant, Muslims will also vote for it: Amit Shah

As campaigning for the fourth phase of elections came to a close in the state, the Union Home Minister said the Jatav vote remained with the BSP and that Muslims too would vote for the BSP in a number of seats. Asked whether this would help the BJP, Shah said: “I do not know if this would be an advantage for the BJP or a loss. It depends on the seat… it’s seat specific. But it’s not true that Mayawati’s relevance is over.”

The Samajwadi Party, which is seen as the BJP’s main competitor for power in UP, is counting on retaining its Muslim vote and weaning away traditional voters of other parties.

Asked about Mayawati keeping a low profile, Shah said it did not mean her support base had entirely eroded.

With the BJP accused of using polarisation to win votes, he denied that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s statement calling the UP election an 80 vs 20 battle suggested a contest between Hindus and Muslims in the state.

“I don’t think this election is about Muslims or Yadavs or Hindus. Yogiji may have spoken about vote percentages but not about Muslims vs Hindus… Voting pattern can’t be termed polarisation,” Shah said.

While “polarisation” was happening, he added, it was by the Opposition. “The poor and farmers are being polarised,” Shah argued.

In his first comments on the hijab row in Karnataka educational institutions, the Union Home Minister said: “It is my personal belief that people of all religions should accept a school’s dress code. And the issue is now in court… Whatever it decides should be followed by all.”

He also expressed confidence that the BJP would win a clear majority and not need anyone’s help to form the government in UP. “All we need would be constructive support of Opposition parties to run the government, for which we would need the BSP and the SP as well.”

Having travelled across UP, Shah said, he had found that the Yogi Adityanath government had won “the hearts of the people”, and that “Support and love for the Prime Minister is much higher today than it was in December 2013”.

Criticising Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for questioning the BJP government’s foreign policy and Kashmir policy, and saying it had brought Pakistan and China closer, Shah said: “Rahul Gandhi does not know the history of this country. He does not know what happened in 1962 and because of whom. The Modi government has given a strong reply to every challenge posed by China.”

On the delay in implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, after the government pushed it through Parliament despite protests against it, Shah said the delay was because of the Covid situation. “But there is no question of going back on it.”