By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net,
Lucknow: For political parties, Muslim clergy are most sought-after commodity in UP polls. Even the right wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also has roped in handful of clerics to woo Muslims who are treated as passport to victory in assembly elections.
Leave aside the clerics, even common Muslims with long beards are in great demand in UP. Candidates always try to keep them alongside while campaigning so as to convey the message that they have Muslim support.
Lucknow, the capital of poll bound Uttar Pradesh, is witnessing such drama every passing day. Such is the frequency of offering support and making appeal for voting in favour of or against a party that in a day three such appeals for different parties by different Muslim clerics are announced in Lucknow.
Mulayam’s maulana brigade
For the Mulayam Singh Yadav led Samajwadi Party (SP), Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid at Delhi, Syed Ahmed Bukhari shared dais with yadav chieftain and announced his support. He also appealed to Muslims to extend their support and vote for SP. Bukhari has issued similar appeals in previous elections for other parties. This time his son-in-law Mohd Umar is also contesting on SP ticket from Behat in Sahranpur. SP also has their own loyalist Imam, Tile Wali Masjid, Maulana Fazlur Rehman Waizi Nadvi who arranged meetings of several Muslim clerics with Mulayam for their support in elections. Not to left behind, Kalbe Hussain, son of Dr Kalbe Sadiq, Vice-President, All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), also met Yadav and reiterated his support. Hussain even issued an advertisement in newspapers soliciting support to SP. He also mentioned that Mulayam gave land to Unity School which is run by his father for Muslim cause so he should be supported. Dr Kalbe Sadiq has played host to RSS chief KS Sudarshan when the latter arrived at his residence. In Lucknow it is said that Dr Sadiq has no foes and easily adjusts with anyone.
Imam-e-Juma, Maulana Kalbe Jawwad though did not openly issued appeal for the support of any political party yet his opposition to Congress over Shah-e-Mardan Karbala, Jor Bagh, New Delhi bore fruits with senior Congress leaders Digvijay Singh and Jagdambika Pal flocking to his residence. Though Jawwad still remains noncommittal over supporting any party.
Clerics line up offering support to Congress
In reply to SP’s maulana brigade, Congress roped in several ulema from Bareilly. Later, the Sajjada Nashin of Ajmer Dargah, Maulana Ghulam Qibliya Dastgheer also held press conference at Congress party office extending his support. Another Maulana Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi of Rajasthan also appealed to Muslims for supporting Congress. Maulana Mujadidi presented a power point presentation on post-Sachar Committee report schemes and benefits of its implementation driving home the point that only Congress can help Muslims. One Maulana Syed Athar Hussain Dehalvi of Anjuman Minhaje Rasool (S) also gave a call for Congress support.
For Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) though no clerics came out openly but several of them met the BSP leaders. BSP’s national general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra met Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahli and discussed the political scenario.
BJP too has got support from clerics
Even BJP too had its share of maulana brigade with one Turaj Zaidi in Peer Bukhara organising a meet of BJP MP Lalji Tandon in support of his son Gopalji Tandon who is the BJP candidate from Lucknow (North). Spokesperson, All India Shia Personal Law Board (AISPLB) Maulana Yasoob Abbas was also present during the meeting but later he disowned it.
Clerics forming their own political outfits
Some other Muslim clerics have openly jumped in poll arena by forming their own outfits.
Faculty member at Islamic seminary, Nadwatul Ulema, Maulana Salman Nadvi has formed a multi-party Ekta Manch and is campaigning for its candidates. The conglomeration was in the news when Peace Party was expelled from the Ekta Manch. Nadvi claims that he is there to reform the society by making politics clean.
Another one Maulana Tauqeer Raza of Bareilly has also formed his Ittehad-e-Millat Council and has fielded candidates in 40 seats. In 2009, Raza had supported Congress but now floated his own outfit and fielded candidates in Rohilkhand area.
Another Maulana Amir Rashadi and Maulana Tahir Madani have their own Rashtriya Ulema Council (RUC) formed in wake of Batla House encounter in 2008. Maulana Tahir is contesting from Nizamabad in Azamgarh.