UP BJP to stage Qawwalis to connect to Muslims ahead of LS polls

New Delhi: Ahead of the 2024 general elections in the country, BJP's fresh strategy in Uttar Pradesh is to use Qawwali performances to connect to Muslim voters in the state, NDTV reported.

BJP has named the campaign there "Sufi Samvad Maha Abhiyan", through which the party plans to hold talks with Muslim intellectuals and the public at large UP.

Syed Ehtesham Ul Huda, a member of the UP minority affairs department, informed NDTV that Muslim leaders there would visit dargahs and assist in organising Qawwali performances, praising the Central government's works. He said that the BJP minority cell would run a Sufi dialogue campaign across the country.

Muslims visiting Sufi shrines could enjoy Qawwali performances which spread information about the BJP-led Centre's schemes. After the civic polls in UP, the Qawwali campaign will be run at the main dargahs of every UP city, Huda said.

BJP has gathered a list of Sufi shrines and their khadims for the campaign. Central BJP leaders are also expected to attend the Qawwali performances at the Sufi Dargahs.

In UP, the Muslim Jat, Muslim Rajput, Muslim Gurjar and Muslim Tyagi contribute a considerable number of voters. In most of the west UP Lok Sabha constituencies, the said communities have an average population of 2.5 lakh.

BJP wanted to win Nagina, Amroha, Bijnor and Saharanpur in western UP, along with Moradabad and Sambhal, all were won by Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party in the 2019 elections. That is why there is this fresh poll strategy.