In Agra, Sikri, minorities to vote en masse to defeat BJP

As the 2014 General Elections draw closer, after-effects of the Muzaffarnagar riots are visible in the Agra and Fatehpur Sikri parliamentary seats.

The BJP is looking for a Jat candidate to be fielded from Sikri seat while the minorities have decided to vote for a party which has the potential of blocking the BJP's advance.

As political parties work towards ensuring polarisation of votes, the area threatens to be flashpoints of communal tension. Agra Police took out a flag march in the Muslim-populated areas of Agra on Thursday and held a meeting with the local community leaders on Friday.

In view of the volatile political equations in the region, the BJP appears hesitant to announce the names of its candidates from these two seats. Ram Shanker Katheriya, the sitting Member of Parliament from the Agra seat, is hoping to get the ticket again. However, there is a possibility that the party might ignore him this time. It may also decide on a Jat candidate from Fatehpur Sikri owing to the large population of Jat voters in the constituency.

Meanwhile, the minority voters in both these seats held a meeting after the Friday namaz, where it was decided that they will vote for the party which has the potential of defeating the BJP candidates here. Clerics appealed to the assembled crowds to ensure that they vote for one party and not let the power of their votes get diluted due to cross-voting.

The administration is taking steps to ensure there is no violence in the region and an atmosphere of peace prevails. Talking to India Today, Ashutosh Pandey, Inspector General of Police, Agra, said that there were reports that there could be communal incidents in Agra during Holi celebrations, following which the police conducted a flag march through the communally sensitive areas of the city in order to create an atmosphere of security in the minority-dominated areas.

He also said that the police had held recently a workshop in Agra, first of its kind in the country, where leading representatives of all communities were invited and informed of the rules and laws expected to be followed by the people during the parliamentary elections.