BJP upset at Congress promising quota for Muslims in poll-bound UP

New Delhi, Jan 10 (ANI): A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation met Chief Election Commissioner S. Y. Quraishi here on Tuesday and expressed its displeasure on the Congress Party's promise of offering nine percent reservation to Muslims, if they were elected to power in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.

BJP Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who led the three-member party delegation after their meeting with the Chief Election Commissioner, declared that the Congress Party along with other political rivals, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Sawajwadi Party (SP) were dividing Uttar Pradesh by caste and religion based politics.

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi insisted that the BJP would strongly protest against the statements made by Union Law and Justice Minister Salman Khurshid.

"We have appealed to the Election Commission that the reservation and religion based politics of Congress party and its rivals, the Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh was dangerous and could result in a caste or social conflict," said Naqvi.

"The Bharatiya Janata Party is having a clear consensus that we won't allow the Congress party to use this issue for their political benefit," he added.

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi further said the promises made by Salman Khurshid in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh was the violation of the model code of conduct.

"Firstly this decision or announcement is unconstitutional; it is also a clear and direct violation of the model code of conduct in elections," said Naqvi.

Addressing a political rally in Uttar Pradesh's Farrukhabad District earlier, Salman Khurshid wooed Muslim voters by promising that the Congress would provide nine percent sub-quota for backward Muslims if the party was voted to power.

Khurshid's wife, Louise, would be contesting during the upcoming state assembly polls from Farrukhabad constituency.

Salman Khurshid, however, today defended his announcement of nine percent reservation for Muslims in Uttar Pradesh if the Congress was voted to power, and said that the government is working according to the set-up in the country.

The Election Commission has announced the rescheduling of date for the first phase of polling in the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh from February 4 to March 3.

The counting of votes in all five states - Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur and Uttar Pradesh will be done on March 6.

The first phase of voting has been rescheduled to March 3 from February 4. This effectively makes the first phase of elections into the last phase of polling. (ANI)