The appeal is seen as a desperate attempt of the RSS-BJP to forge an alliance with Muslims to end Mayawati's rule, so as to reclaim Uttar Pradesh.
Political experts feel that the former sarsanghchalak has been sent to give feelers to the Muslim community ahead of the UP Assembly elections. The BJP has begun wooing Muslims lately.
They said that Sudarshan's statement asking people to reject caste-based parties is an indication that the BJP wants to go to any extent to end the hegemony of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) that largely gets the Dalit votes in UP.
Due to strong Scheduled Caste (SC) support along with a fraction of Muslim vote, the BSP is in a comfortable position in UP. But the state that has a population of 20 crore and send the maximum MPs to Lok Sabha, is crucial for the BJP.
This is the reason Kalb-e-Sadiq, the leader of Shia Muslims has been extended an olive branch. Shias are considered more inclined towards BJP. But the leaders' meeting has caused a stir in Lucknow, as it LK Advani's 'rath yatra' that had led to the demolition of Babri Masjid.
But the situation has changed. The BJP wants to strengthen itself in the most populous state in order to pose a challenge to Congress. Strangely, the BJP had risen on the national scene due to its religion-based politics but its leaders are now urging electorate to reject caste-based parties.
Even on the issue of political parties speaking about reservation for Muslims, Sudarshan said that it should be on the basis of economic condition, rather than caste or community. For the moment, it seems BJP has discovered that 'caste' is the biggest stumbling block in its way to power at Lucknow.
Unless it gets support from other sections of the society, its Upper Caste, particularly, Brahmin-Bania electorate can't help it regain the power in UP. Thus the top RSS leader has been sent to Lucknow to woo the minorities.
TIH Bureau
