Gujarat’s Sikka constituency in Jamnagar district is being flaunted by Narendra Modi as a model to woo Muslim voters in other parts of the state.
The economic prosperity, enjoyed by the predominantly Muslim population, has clearly tilted the scales in favour of Modi.
The Congress, which is caught between the need to woo Hindu voters and not lose the Muslim vote, is hoping the Sikka model will not prove to be Modi’s trump card.
Sikka, the port town, has about is about 70 per cent Muslim population and almost everyone is behind the BJP. All 19 seats of Sikka municipality are held by the BJP and 14 of them are Muslim members.
Economic freedom appears to have blunted the blow of the 2002 riots. Both Reliance and Indian Oil Corporation have refineries here and recently Reliance doubled its capacity.
So, jobs are in plenty, development is real and the Congress is feeling the heat.
“Yes, there were communal problems in 2002, but in last five years, there is not a single such incident, our community leaders have now become BJP leaders here. The party has accommodated them. We have reasons to support BJP and Modi,” said A T Attarwala, industrialist and a resident of Sikka.
Changing perception
The voters say that the Congress party did not do enough for the region and that they are not anti-BJP.
“For 40 years we were voting for Congress but no development in our town. They have cheated us. It’s not necessary that Muslims are anti-BJP. We look forward to development which is here all over now in the last five years. We are happy with this government,” said Mahmood Musa Sumbhadiya, Chairman, Sikka Municipality.
The BJP’s strategy is to use Sikka as an example to woo Muslim voters in other parts of the state. The Congress, of course, believes it won’t work.
“People have a misconception that BJP is a party only for the Hindus. We never said that Muslims are an integral part of our party and they are with us. We believe in everything which is Indian and people who believe in that, they are with us, even Muslims,” said Yamal Vyas, Spokesperson, BJP.
However, the Congress has its plan ready.
“BJP has neglected Hindus and Muslims, all communities. They don’t have the right to come back to power and all the communities are with us. Whosoever left us earlier are now joining back,” said Arjun Modhvadia, Leader of Opposition, Congress.
In last assembly elections, in most of urban Gujarat, Muslims stayed away from casting votes, a trend which Congress will not like to be repeated this time.
And the fear of losing Hindu votes has made the Congress a bit wary of reaching out to the Muslims. And if Sikka is any indication, the BJP’s plan of coming closer to the Muslim community may be taking off.