Shahi Imam Bukhari, who has a record in extending support to political parties at poll time, has this time extended support to BSP.
polls, but withdrew them after extending support to BSP saying there was need to work together with it to defeat fascist forces.
Stressing that there had been continued atrocities on Muslims in the past five years, Jawwad appealed to Muslims to vote for BSP, describing it as the best option available before them under the prevailing circumstances.
Shahi Imam Bukhari, who has a record in extending support to political parties at poll time, has this time extended support to BSP.
"Muslims should look for a political alternative in UP and show exit route to the unjust SP that has gone back on its word," he said while declaring support to BSP.
Stressing that Muslims bore the brunt of deprivation, injustice and unemployment, Bukhari blamed the SP for some 400 bloody riots and failure to fulfil promises like reservation, implementation of Sachar Committee report, setting free innocent Muslim youth framed in terror charges and recruitment of Muslims in security forces.
The AMU Students' Union issued a statement expressing solidarity with BSP, while Ashraf Kichachauvi group too spoke in favour of Mayawati's party.
Realising shortage of Muslim faces in the party, BSP has been taking the help of new entrant Afzal Ansari, who merged his Quami Ekta Dal with BSP after being spurned by Samajwadi Party.
BSP national general secretary Naseemuddin Siddiqui has said his party will be using Madani for campaigning.
The dearth of Muslim leaders is a problem for the party.
Among the list of 40 star campaigners there are just three leaders from the community - Siddiqui, also the west UP in-charge; his son Afzal, and party coordinator for Aligarh and Agra divisions Shamsuddin Raeen.
BSP Rajya Sabha MP Munquad Ali, who hails from Meerut and was the party's in-charge for west UP till 2014, has not been named as star campaigner in the region.
He is believed to have confined himself to Allahabad, Varanasi and Mirzapur divisions in eastern UP, where he is the party's zonal coordinator.
According to election analysts, only 20 per cent Muslims voted for BSP in the 2012 Assembly elections.
(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
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