After falling out with BJP, TDP tries to woo Muslims

Amaravati: As part of the plan to mobilise Muslim votes in the run up to next year’s elections, TDP is supporting a mega Muslim meet to be held in Guntur city on August 28. TDP rank and file are said to be main driving force behind the meeting, to which one lakh people are expected to attend.

The ruling party is hoping a positive impression  from the community owing to its ongoing confrontation with the BJP-led government at the Centre. In the wake of party’s support to Chalo Muslim Guntur programme, Muslim leaders in the party started slogan ‘Nara Hamara-Telugu Desam Hamara’.

Indeed, many Muslim voters supported YSR Congress in the last election miffed by TDP joining hands with the BJP. Moreover, Muslims had been sympathetic to Y S Jaganmohan Reddy as they feel they owe it to his family because his father YS Rajasekhar Reddy proposed reservations to them under BC quota.

On the other hand, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is trying to woo Muslims by regularly distributing Ramzan thofa and also strongly supporting Muslim reservation issue in the courts. For the past few months, TDP has intensified its efforts to obtain the support of Muslims after falling out with the NDA coalition. 

A section of Muslims are supporting Naidu since he took stand against the BJP government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding the implementation of Special Category Status and other promises made to the state.

The TDP which made Md Farooq as Legislative Council chairman, is said to be mulling over giving a berth to a member of the community in the state Cabinet. 

According to party sources, there are about 20,000 to 30,000 Muslim voters in 15 constituencies of the four Rayalaseema districts. The YSRCP managed to get majority seats due to their support in the last elections. Advocate and social activist Adbul Azeez said that the TDP should give a chance to a Muslim MLA in the Cabinet.  

Muslim Thinkers Forum president Khan Yazdani recalled that the Muslims extended support to NT Rama Rao in the past. Now the TDP leadership should earn the confidence and trust of the community by extending some real help to them, he said.