BJP seeks to push its outreach to Pasmanda Muslims

New Delhi: The BJP is working to intensify its outreach to 'Pasmanda' Muslims and the recent nomination of academician Tariq Mansoor to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council could help the party in connecting with the community and also Muslim professionals.

Party leaders noted that Mansoor, who served as Aligarh Muslim Univeristy vice chancellor, is a 'Pasmanda', a term for backward classes among Muslims.

With 'Pasmandas' often finding a mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speeches, at party forum as well as government events, and how his government has worked for the deprived without any discrimination, the BJP believes it is in a position to make inroads among them in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, a view emboldened by its win in Lok Sabha bypolls in Muslim-dominated seats of Azamgarh and Rampur in Uttar Pradesh.

The BJP's Minority Morcha has been holding events to connect with 'Pasmandas', who are over 80 per cent of the country's Muslim population, and its leaders believe that a new narrative focussed around the theme of development can be productive.

With Lok Sabha polls approaching, the outreach is likely to be intensified, its leader said, noting that the Morcha has identified many seats with a large concentration of Muslims.

Ashraf Muslims, a term for the relatively elite segment of the population, have reaped the political rewards of the identity politics pursued by so-called secular parties for decades, while Pasmandas have been left behind, sources said, adding that the BJP can now bring about require course-correction with emphasis on development.

The impetus is also likely to be seen in the Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman (VIKAS) scheme, a skill development and promotion programme announced in the recent Union budget for artisans, a large number of whom belong to the 'Pasmanda' category as well.

In one of his post-budget webinars, Modi had underscored backwardness among Pasmanda Muslims as he highlighted his government's efforts to reach out to the most deprived sections of society with its various welfare schemes.

At a BJP meeting earlier, the prime minister had also encouraged party workers to reach out to professionals among Muslims with the party's development agenda.

Danish Ansari, the only Muslim minister in the Uttar Pradesh government, is also a Pasmanda.

The ruling party has of late also stepped up its efforts to connect with Christians with Modi visiting a church in the national capital on Easter.