Former chief minister and BJP’s Haridwar nominee Trivendra Singh Rawat is hoping that the BJP’s Muslim vote share will go up in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

He said the abolition of the practice of triple talaq and the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) enacted by the Uttarakhand government would help the BJP consolidate its Muslim vote share in Haridwar.

The saffron party had won only six of the 14 Haridwar assembly constituencies in 2022 state polls. The ruling party never won three assembly segments, Bhagwanpur, Manglorr and Piran Kaliyar seats in the history of Uttarakhand.

The party failed to win these seats even in the 2017 Lok Sabha elections when the saffron wave swept 11 of the 14 assembly constituencies in Haridwar parliamemtary seat.

The Haridwar Lok Sabha constituency has around five lakh or 25 per cent Muslim voters. Almost half of the electorate in Manglore, Bhagwanpur and Piran Kaliyar are Muslim.

So far, BJP’s Muslim vote share has been around five percent in Haridwar Lok Sabha polls but Rawat and other BJP leaders believe that anti-triple talaq law and the UCC in the state would help the party increase its minority votes in 2024. Rawat claimed that the BJP would win almost 12 assembly constituencies in this Lok Sabha polls.

“We have seen Muslim voters’ mood especially that of women across the country after the enactment of the law against the triple talaq by the Narendra Modi Government. Muslims in general and women in particular have taken it as welcome relief from traditional mode of abrupt divorces. Besides, a large number of Muslim families consider the UCC as a law that mandates equal rights to women and men cutting across community beliefs,” said Rawat while speaking to The Statesman.

The former CM added, “Sizeable strength of minority population was also benefited from free cooking gas and housing schemes of the Central government. I am getting good response from them in rural Haridwar. We hope to win all assembly constituencies this time.”

Rawat believes he would also benefit from the withdrawal of BSP’s first candidate Bhavna Pandey in his favour. Pandey, who was first BSP candidate from Haridwar, withdrew her nomination and resigned from the party in support of Trivendra Singh Rawat a day before deadline for withdrawal of candidature ended. She has good hold over dalits and a section of muslim voters in Haridwar.

The BJP is winning hands down in Haridwar. This time, the lead will be much more than that in the 2019 LS polls. Although the BJP won only six seats in 2022 assembly polls, much water has flown down from Ganga after that.

The Pushkar Singh Dhami Government has enacted the UCC offering equal rights of divorce and inheritance of properties to the women. Besides, the triple talaq ban by the Centre brought Muslim women close to the BJP,” says Manveer Chauhan, BJP media state incharge and party’s spokesperson.

Trivendra Singh Rawat is pitted against former Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat’s son Virendra Rawat as Congress party nominee. Besides, Congress’s Virendra Rawat local MLA Umesh Kumar is in the battle as independent. Umesh who defeated BJP heavyweight Pranav Singh Champion in 2022 assembly elections earlier sought Congress ticket to fight against Trivendra Singh Rawat.

BJP leaders also believe that BSP nominee Jameel Ahmed will help Trivendra Singh Rawat as he is likely to eat Congress’ minority votes along with Umesh Kumar.