Over 25,000 Muslims in India are volunteering to help the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) win a third term in the upcoming elections, according to party officials. The BJP is targeting underprivileged Muslim voters, including women, in 65 key seats. The party hopes to win over Muslim voters by emphasizing its economic record and its plans to introduce religion-agnostic laws on inheritance and gender rights. This campaign is part of a larger effort to woo India’s 200 million Muslims, with whom the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have had a tense relationship. Critics accuse the BJP of promoting anti-Islamic hate speech and discriminatory actions against Muslims. However, the party denies these allegations and claims that violence between Muslims and the Hindu majority is deeply rooted and not specific to its time in power. The BJP is aiming to increase its share of the Muslim vote from 9% in previous elections to between 16% and 17% in the upcoming polls. The party is focusing on 65 seats with a significant Muslim voter population and is using community leaders to spread its economic message and welfare policies. The BJP hopes to address the concerns of marginalized Muslim groups and bridge the gap between the party and the Muslim community. However, critics argue that the BJP’s core approach remains anti-Muslim and anti-minority, despite its efforts to win over certain sections of the Muslim population.
BJP’s Hindu Nationalist Party in India Aims to Forge Alliances with Muslim Community in Upcoming 2024 Election
