Desperately seeking Muslim votes to sail through the 2012 Assembly election, Rahul Gandhi on Sunday reached the doorstep of Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, the noted Sunni seminary in Lucknow.

He spent about an hour with its rector Maulana Rabey Hasani Nadwi, who is also the president of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB).

Although Ulama has a tradition of keeping silent on the issue of any political meeting, Rahul’s visit is clearly an effort to send a signal that the Muslims are with the Congress.

This also holds importance because Rahul has to start his second public contact programme in 19 Muslim-dominated Assembly constituencies of western Uttar Pradesh and Rohaikhand from December 13-17. He is set to visit Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Farrukhabad, Kannauj, Auraiya and Kanpur rural.

UPCC chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi informed that it was the first time that the Gandhi scion met the Islamic scholar in Lucknow.

“Nadvi belongs to Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s Parliamentary constituency Rae Bareli. So they have met there before. But it is the first time that Rahul visited the seminary here. I believe he briefed Nadvi about the steps the UPA is going to take for the development of the Muslim community,” she said.

But a senior Congress leader claimed that it was a last minute decision of the Congress leader to visit the seminary.

“The Darul Uloom Deoband (DUD) has dubbed the Congress’s move to give six per cent reservation to Muslims within the OBC’s 27 per cent quota as a poll gimmick. Snubbed by the DUD, which shapes the popular sentiment of the Muslims, the Congress turned to Nadwatul Ulama which gives light to the Muslim intelligentsia in particular,” he said.

He said many Congress candidates for the election told Rahul that the Muslims were either with the main Opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) or with the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

“Our candidates are facing a problem in wooing Muslim voters in their constituencies. They told Rahul about this during interactive sessions on Saturday and Sunday. But he said the candidates should campaign confidently and leave these issues to the party leadership. He said the Centre was already in the process of declaring a reservation policy for minorities. Since the DUD is not taking the Congress seriously, Rahul must have visited Ulama to send a signal across the community that the Congress was with them,” he added.

DUD’s public relation officer Adil Siddiqui had claimed the Congress was cheating the minority community two days ago.

“Reservation for minorities is an election gimmick. Union minister Salman Khursheed was silent all these years. But now he has suddenly shown his love for the community,” Siddiqui said.

Although Nadvi or any other member of Nadwatul Ulama didn’t comment on Rahul’s visit, a teacher of the seminary said: “We are not into any party politics and our rector doesn’t issue any instruction to the voters.

Even Mulayam Singh Yadav and BSP’s general secretary and PWD minister Nasimuddeen Siddiqui have met him. That doesn’t mean that the Muslims get any signal from here. Our rector says his door is open to all but he will never bless any politician to win an election.” When asked to explain Rahul’s move, an AIMPLB member said: “We don’t trust the Congress”.

I want to remind Rahul that the Mandal Commission had notified 32 Sunni Muslim castes within the OBC. But the Congress leaders never talk about it and also avoid identifying Dalit Muslims.”

SCOUTING FOR OBC VOTES TOO

Rahul Gandhi on Saturday visited OBC dominated village Neeva Darauli in Banthara area and spent three hours with members of the Chaurasiya community.

He also visited betel leaf farms and held a chaupal around a bonfire in the village.

The vote bank politics behind his visit cannot be ruled out as Chotelal Chaurasiya, a leader of Akhil Bharatiya Chaurasiya Mahasabha accompanied the Congress leader.

Observers believe that although the Chaurasiyas constitute only two to four per cent of the OBC population, Rahul’s move is aimed at wooing the non-Yadav OBC voters whose vote shifts frequently.

The Yadavs constitute nine per cent of the 27 to 35 per cent OBC votes.

Prem Chaurasiya, a farmer, said: ” He was keen to understand the farming of betel leaves. He promised us an insurance scheme. He also asked us whether we are receiving the benefits of central schemes such as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. We informed him that the officials demand bribe before extending the benefits of these welfare schemes to the villagers.”