Okha municipal elections: BJP names eight Muslim candidates

BJP has nominated eight candidates from the Muslim community for the Oct 3 election to Okha municipality in Devbhumi Dwarka district in an apparent bid to win the support of Muslim voters. This is two more than the 2016 election. On October 3, 36 seats in the Okha municipality will be up for election and counting is scheduled for October 5. Total 85 candidates are in the fray. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is also contesting from a majority of seats along with the BJP and its main rival Congress.

‘We have tried to represent all communities fairly’ Pradip Khimani, Convenor of the Gujarat BJP municipalities cell said, ‘this was the primary reason Muslims were given more tickets In 2016, we fielded six Muslims, but only one won. Nearly 80 percent of the voters in Ward No. 2 and Ward No. 5 are Muslim…’ According to an insider, the CPA has allocated one additional ticket to each Muslim in those wards.

‘In Ward No.2, three of the four BJP candidates are Muslims. In Ward No.5, three of the four BJP candidates are Muslims. In Ward No.3 and Ward No.7, the saffron party fielded one Muslim candidate each. In Wards 3 and 7, Muslim voters are the largest electorate group, but not as dominant as in Wards 2 and 5. Thus, the party has continued with the same strategy as in the previous election,’ a party source said.

In Okha municipality, there are 50,196 registered voters, of which about 20,000 are Muslims. On the other hand, the Congress has already suffered a blow as seven of its candidates withdrew their nomination papers. The party now has 29 candidates. A total of 14 of these candidates are Muslims. It has nominated Muslims for all four seats in Ward No.5, three for Ward No.4, two each for Ward No.2 and 3, and one each for Ward No.1, 6, and 7.

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The choice of party candidates was based on giving young people a chance.  Yasin Gajjan, president of the Congress’ Devbhumi Dwarka district unit, said the majority of their candidates are under 40. The municipality of Okha consists of Okha, Bet Dwarka — the island off Okha — and Arambhda and Surajkaradi villages. In 2016, the BJP won 20 seats and the Congress won 16.