AHMEDABAD, Dec 10: Muslims in Gujarat will be turning out for assembly elections on Thursday with one goal in mind — to oust the hardline Hindus now ruling the state.

Since late February, India’s wealthiest state has been hit by raging communal violence that according to official figures has killed at last 1,000 people, mostly Muslims. Human rights groups put the death toll around 2,000.

Many Muslims were forced to flee their homes in revenge attacks and take shelter in special camps set up for their protection.

Now it is time to cast ballots and the 400,000 or so Muslim voters are determined to make their presence felt — against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“This is our chance to show the BJP that Muslim votes also count,” said Mukhtar Mohammad, a Muslim leader from the Panchmahals district, 150kms south of here.

“(Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra) Modi and (Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna) Advani have been repeatedly saying that they don’t need our votes. We will give them a reply on Dec 12.”

He said leaders of the minority communities, especially Muslims, across the state are mobilizing forces to ensure that there is 100 per cent opposition turnout — in favour of the Congress party, arch-rival of the BJP.

“This time there will be 100 percent voting by Muslims and all of us will vote for Congress. We have even asked all our brothers who left the city immediately after the riots to return and cast their votes to defeat BJP,” said Zubeir Gopalani, another Muslim leader from Vadodara, a city about 120kms south of here.

Gopalani claims that in at least two constituencies of Vadodara, Muslims have sufficient clout to swing the pendulum in favour of any party they choose. The Gujarat state assembly has 182 constituencies.

Muslim leaders are seeking to garner each and every vote possible, with Mohammad saying he is busy preparing a list of people who need transport to reach polling booths.

“We have already made arrangements for three-wheelers and other vehicles to take the women and old men to the polling booths. We are also educating them how they should use the new electronic voting machines,” he added.

Political analysts say that despite their small numbers — the voting population of the state is around 32.5 million — Muslims are a significant force in the vote and could influence the outcomes of some 60 constituencies.

The BJP and the Congress are in a straight fight, pitching their candidates in all 182 seats of the state assembly.

In Ahmedabad, Muslim leaders are trying to create awareness among their people about the significance of voting.

“The way we were targeted during the riots, there is already an awakening among the Muslims that the BJP is dangerous for us,” said Shakil Ahmed, a Muslim leader with the Islamic Relief Committee.

Apart from Muslims, other minority communities such as Sikhs, Parsis and Christians, are considering a similar strategy to oust the BJP from the state.

“Around 40,000 Sikhs of Ahmedabad will vote only for Congress,” said Arminder Singh, Chief Minister of East Punjab, who was in the city to campaign for the Congress.

Similarly, around 3,000 Parsis are also expected to opt for the secular Congress party.

Christians, who constitute less than one percent of the total voters in Gujarat, are also highly influential and traditionally support the Congress party above the hardline BJP.

“We are strong in towns like Dangs, Nadiad, Anand and can be significant for any party because of our influence in many sections of the population,” said Christian human rights activist Father Cederic Prakash.

“We would definitely go for a party, which is non-sectarian and has the welfare of the people at heart,” he said.

5,000 rounded up: Some 5,000 people have been detained in Gujarat on the eve of the polls, police said.

Security has also been tightened dramatically with the deployment of 170,000 security personnel, police added.

“All across the state, more than 5,000 people have been detained as a preventive measure before the election,” said Pramod Kumar, police inspector general of the main city of Gandhinagar. “Detentions are continuing even today.”

Kumar said that as part of an intensive security drive, more than 40,000 paramilitary personnel, 70,000 local policemen and 60,000 auxiliary force members have been deployed across the state.

“The police are also getting the anti-social elements to sign a good-behaviour bond and have restricted their inter-state movements,” Kumar added.

The police have also passed strict orders against the sale of illicit liqour.—AFP