The only Muslim candidate to win from Rajkot is Bibben Sama. While all the four Muslim candidates fielded by the Congress have lost, Sama, 43, made an opening for the BJP in minority-dominated area of Rukhadiyapara and Jungleshwar.
For Bibben — wife of Habib Sama, a BJP minority cell city secretary — this was her first brush with politics. However, her husband’s political background and the BJP’s calculated risk of fielding a first-ever woman Muslim candidate in Rajkot paid off dividends.
“The BJP has done good development work for this ward. In the outgoing body, this ward was represented by the BJP panel, and we have retained it,” said Bibben after defeating her Congress rival Manjula Viroja by over 2,000 votes.
For the Samas, the campaign was not difficult. “I have been working for the BJP from this area for 15 years now. The people know that I have got their work done through party support. We were confident of our victory,” said Habib.
There are around 8,000 minority voters in this area. The Congress repeated Rahim Sora, who had won from here in 2000. But Sora, who had held the post of health committee chairman at Rajkot Municipal Corporation, lost the seat for the second consecutive time.
“For my area, I can say Muslims have no biases against the BJP. They also want development. That’s why they have elected a woman Muslim candidate fielded by the BJP,” added Bibben.
Jungleshwar, Rukhadiyapara and Kotharia Road, in old Rajkot, are some of the most backward areas of Rajkot. Her priority will remain to get the development work in the area on fast track, Bibben said .
“The BJP has been winning hearts of Muslims everywhere. The party had fielded Muslim candidates earlier, but this is the first time that we fielded a Muslim woman candidate,” said senior BJP leader Dhansukh Bhanderi.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/in-rajkot-muslim-woman-opens-bjp-account/696849/0