Parsis shifting their loyalties to BJP?

FIVE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY HAVE PUT OUT APPEALS URGING PARSIS TO SUPPORT BJP CANDIDATE MANGAL PRABHAT LODHA

MUMBAI: Is the Parsi community, traditionally a minority group firmly behind the Congress, likely to swing to support the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) this time?

A group of five prominent community members has put out two appeals in weekly community newsletter, Jam-e-jamshed urging Parsis to back Malabar Hill BJP candidate Mangal Prabhat Lodha.

The constituency has about 10,000 Parsi voters in areas like Gamadia Road, Godrej Baug, Khareghat Colony and Ness Baug.

Udvada head priest Khurshed Dastur, Dinshaw Tamboly, president, World Zoroashtrian Organisation Trust, and three others have all signed an appeal testifying to Lodha’s work and pointing out that he has done several things for the community including renovating Doongerwadi and undertaken cleaning of water tanks in the colonies.

Dasutr, along with Maneck Davar, publisher of Spenta group magazines, and one other person have also made a broader appeal to Parsis to vote for BJP candidates overall, citing the friendly attitude of the Modi-led central government.

“The affection of Prime Minister Modi for the community has not diminished,” it said while telling members they need ed to participate in the elections by “voting in large numbers”.

During his tenure as chief minister, Modi actively wooed the community in Gujarat, which has a significant Parsi population.

In the Lok Sabha elections many chose to back Modi. “It depends on the candidate in the area, but now the BJP does have support among people who earlier voted for the Congress,” said Jehangir R Patel, editor of Parsiana, a community magazine published since 1964. “Modi has also been an attraction.”

In Colaba constituency, major ity of Parsis live in Cusrow Baug “The vote has considerably frag mented now,” said P Engineer, a resident, who was earlier backing an independent candidate.

However, the Congress is con fident that the community will continue to support it.

“We have seen the response on the ground and the Congress has an old relationship with the community,” said a party worker “It won’t change with one adver tisement.”