LUCKNOW: The ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh (UP) has stepped up its effort to woo Muslims with an eye on 2014 Lok Sabha elections. While chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has launched vote-catching `humari beti, uska kal' scheme for class 10th pass Muslim girls at a function in minority dominated Rampur district, his father and party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav announced in Lucknow that he will mount pressure on the Centre for introducing quota for the Muslims in government jobs and educational institutions as recommended by the reports of the Sachar Committee and the Rangnath Commission.

Brainchild of SP's Muslim face and cabinet minister Azam Khan , under the humari beti, uska kal, the government will give Rs 30,000 to a class 10th pass Muslim girl for her future studies or marriage. The venue, Maulana Jauhar University set up by Khan for imparting modern education to Muslims, was carefully for the launch of the scheme. Over 10,000 girls attended the function in Rampur where cheques were distributed by Akhilesh. These girls belonged to five districts under Moradabad division having substantial Muslim population -- - Bijnore (42%), Amroha (39%), Moradabad (46%), Rampur (49%) and Sambhal (30%).

Though Muslims are 19% of the population of the state, in west UP districts their population is over 30%. In assembly elections held in earlier this year, Muslims voted overweeningly for the SP, bringing it to power with absolute majority. Of the 140 Muslim dominated assembly seats, the SP won 72, BSP 27, BJP 25 and Congress 11. In west UP, of 126 assembly seats, the SP won 62, nearly 50%. Muslims also play crucial role in 25 Lok Sabh constituencies out of total 80 in UP. In 2009, the SP lost in Muslim dominated areas because the community got angry after he shook hands with former BJP leader Kalyan Singh responsible for Babri mosque demolition. However, before 2012 assembly elections, Mulayam won Muslims back by snapping ties with Kalyan tendering an apology to the community.

As a result, in 2012 assembly elections, the SP not only won in Muslim dominated seats but maximum number of Muslim MLAs also belong to it. As many as 43 Muslim candidates fielded by SP won followed by BSP (16) and Congress (4). In 2009, the Congress managed to grab a major share of Muslims votes, which helped its tally to reach 22 from nine in 2004.

The SP does not want to take any chances for 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Muslims generally votes tactically in favour of the party which can defeat BJP. Fearing that the Congress may again walk away with the substantial Muslim vote share in 2014 by projecting that it is the only party which can stop the BJP at the national level, Mulayam, while addressing a Muslim gathering on Monday in Lucknow, claimed that in next elections both the BJP and the Congress will lose and Third Front will come to power. Mulayam, who has prime ministerial ambitions, also said that the SP will play a crucial role in formation of the Third Front.