BJP's Muslim efforts come unstuck

JALE (Darbhanga): While BJP leaders have discarded their Hindutva plank for the Bihar elections and do not mention Ayodhya in their election speeches, Muslim voters seem resolute in not voting for the party.
Jale, which went to polls on Thursday, is dominated by close to 60,000 Muslims. But, with Congress and CPI both fielding Muslim candidates — Aftab Alam and Ahmad Ali Tamanna — the minority vote is split.
Said Mohammad Ilyas, exsarpanch of Bharwara panchayat here, said that although the Muslims are divided about whom to vote, none will back BJP. While Ilyas is favouring Congress, another villager Mohammad Yunus of Shankarpur village said most Muslim are supporting the CPI nominee.
"We admire Nitish Kumar and support his work, but it’s difficult for us to vote BJP,’’ said Yunus, a farmer, who came to Singhwara to listen to BJP leader Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday, which was later cancelled.
Following delimitation, five panchayats of Singhwara block have shifted from Keoti to Jale. Although this is a Muslim-dominated seat, it went to BJP after seat-sharing formula with JD(U). Vijay Kumar Mishra (BJP) is again trying his luck. He was defeated by RJD’s Ramnivas Prasad by just 200 votes in 2005