Not a single Muslim was given a BJP ticket in most populous state of Uttar Pradesh

Many analysts say it is the height of exclusion in democratic politics, but some insiders at India's ruling BJP say that is what got the party a landslide win in India's most populous state Uttar Pradesh.

"You have not a single Muslim candidate, how will you ensure proper representation for them?" TV anchor Prannoy Roy asked BJP's Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Pat came the reply: "BJP believes not in tokenism but in deliverables. All our schemes for poor have been distributed equally among Hindus and Muslims, lower and upper castes."

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Former editor and now India's junior foreign minister MJ Akbar defended the party's anti-vote bank politics in a signed article in 'Times of India'.

"Muslims can see for themselves that Mudra loans or insurance or LPG cylinders are as available to them as anyone else, on the basis of poverty and not faith. They can see now that myths circulated around PM Modi in 2014 are lies."

Akbar had himself attacked Modi as an editor during the 2002 Gujarat riots, only to join the party a decade later. He has been rewarded with a ministerial berth after a stint as one of the many BJP spokespersons.

A supporter of India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) celebrates after learning of the initial poll results at the party headquarters in Bengaluru, India, Mar 11, 2017. Reuters

In Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, Muslims constitute 19 percent of the population.

In many urban constituencies, they account for more than 30 percent of the electorate.

Former chief minister Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had fielded 100 Muslim candidates in this UP elections out of the 403 seats in the state assembly.

Her electoral calculations were woven around the Muslim-lower caste alliance -- not different from the ruling Samajwadi Party.

The BJP, by contrast, did not field a single Muslim candidate in the 403 seats.

But when the saffron candidates swept in all six constituencies of riot-hit Muzaffarnagar to Deoband in Saharanpur, Bareilly, Bijnor and Moradabad where Muslims dominate the demography, Mayawati alleged tampering of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) by the BJP.

She said: "Even the Muslims votes have gone to the saffron party which is unacceptable. This is unbelievable."

For the past five years, the minority cell of the BJP's UP unit had worked hard to establish close contact with Muslim voters, undertaking membership drives and special efforts to reach economic benefits to them.

There was much difference in the party's state unit over whether to give tickets to Muslims.

The firebrand BJP lawmaker Vinay Katiyar (of Vishwa Hindu Parishad) insisted there was no point in giving tickets to Muslims.

Supporters of India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) celebrate after learning of the initial poll results outside the party headquarters in New Delhi, India, Mar 11, 2017. Reuters

But others like Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Uma Bharti and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, insisted on giving tickets to Muslims.

Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti went public supporting Home Minister Rajnath Singh's stand on BJP fielding Muslim candidates.

She even said the BJP had committed a mistake by not fielding any Muslim candidate. "I am really feeling sorry that we could not field a Muslim. I spoke with (BJP President) Amit Shah and (state party president) Keshav Prasad Maurya about how we could have brought a Muslim to the assembly," she had said.

Rajnath Singh had earlier said that Muslims should have been given tickets by the BJP in UP.

A crestfallen Naqvi had said, "As far as tickets are concerned, it would have been better if the tickets were given to Muslims. We will address their (Muslim party workers) concerns by compensating them when we form the government in the state."

BJP state executive member Romana Siddiqui was quoted by PTI as saying: "I feel the party needs more time in shortlisting a Muslim candidate for different elections. I think the party is yet to completely repose faith in Muslim candidates."

On whether Muslim party workers have been promised any government posts or ministerial berths, in case the party forms the government, Siddiqui, said, "The party knows about the contributions made by us, and would definitely look after our interest."

But she refused to elaborate.

A supporter of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) celebrates after learning of the initial poll results outside the party headquarters in Kolkata, India, Mar 11, 2017. Reuters

Even a leader of an RSS outfit came out in support of giving some tickets to Muslims.

Co-convener of Muslim Rashtriya Manch, a pro-RSS outfit, Merudhwaj Singh Chandel, said if Muslim party workers are competent enough to test the poll waters, they must be given a chance.

"For the past few years, a number of Muslim party workers have been working in close sync with the BJP. Though the final decision to give tickets rests on the party, yet those who have rendered exemplary performance in resurrecting the organisation must be suitably rewarded and compensated, which includes giving party ticket," he told a press conference last month.

But BJP President Amit Shah finally went with the 'broad consensus' in the party's UP unit and did not give a single ticket to Muslims.

Amit Shah (centre), president of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gestures as he celebrates with party supporters after learning of the initial poll results inside the party headquarters in New Delhi, India, Mar 11, 2017. Reuters

"That helped the process of religious consolidation by sending out a strong message of Hindu unity that buried the caste divides," says analyst Ramprakash Sinha.

He said caste factors have been undermined in this UP elections because of the powerful religious messaging.

"From surgical strikes against Pakistan to promise to build Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the message BJP generated was one of aggressive Hinduism. Not giving ticket to a single Muslim helped reinforce that perception," Sinha said.

In Manipur, only one Muslim -- Anwar Hussain of Lilong-- was given a ticket.

In Assam 2016 polls, the BJP fielded only two Muslim candidates who won. As many as 15 Muslims won in Assam on Congress and 13 of AIUDF tickets.

In Assam, the BJP tried to bury ethnic differences by strong Hindu messaging that brought together Assamese, Bengali and tribal Hindus. In UP, they adopted a similar strategy and it worked as well.

But much as some pro-BJP analysts insist anti-minority agenda benefits the party and exposes the politics of minority appeasement pursued by Congress and regional parties, independent thinkers appear worried.

"Denying a community any representation is a serious issue in a democracy," said TV anchor and author Rajdeep Sardesai.