Sikka in Jamnagar district elected 19 members of the BJP among its 21 councillors two years ago. Of them, 14 are Muslims. %u201CSince 1947, the Congress was continuously returned to power here. For the first time, everyone supported the BJP in the urban bodies poll last year on hopes that we would also get a share in the gains of development,%u201D said Ahmedbhai Dawoodbhai, a 58-year-old fisherman. %u201CWe will vote for the BJP in these elections, too.%u201D
There are other such islands of Muslim support for Modi where the BJP won municipality elections two years ago. These include Niyana town in Rajkot district, Pardi in Surendranagar and Arrod in Bharuch.
For many Muslims, good governance has blunted the sharp edges of their hostility towards Modi.
%u201CIf pockets are empty, there will be violence. If people are jobless, there will be violence. Now that everyone is getting jobs, why should there be riots,%u201D asked Ali Asghar Attarwala, an architect in Jamnagar town.
Gujarat%u2019s 45 lakh Muslims form just over 9 per cent of the state%u2019s population, according to the 2001 Census. The literacy rate is 73 per cent, higher than the national average of 65 per cent for all citizens. On most other counts, including sex ratio and work participation, they fare better than the national average for all religions.
%u201CMany Muslims are realising that the only truth is development,%u201D said Hatim Modi, a Muslim who works as a defence contractor. %u201CWe have been used
