As Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday made a strong pitch for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), saying it will be implemented in all 21 BJP-led NDA-ruled states before the next parliamentary elections in 2029, the focus has shifted to assembly poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, which has the country’s largest Muslim population in absolute numbers.
“The UCC has always been part of the BJP’s core goal and election manifesto, like abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. UCC is part of the troika of core goals of BJP, in addition to Ram Temple and abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir. The party has already achieved the Ram temple and Article 370 abrogation goals. Article 44 of the Constitution, one of the directive principles of state policy, urges the state to endeavour to secure Uniform Civil Code for citizens.
Samajwadi Party MP from Ayodhya Awadhesh Prasad said, “It won’t even become an issue in the UP assembly polls. Despite being a strong votary of Hindutva politics, chief minister Yogi Adityanath has been silent on the issue. The party is committed to bringing UCC. Instead, the key issues this time will be unemployment, poverty, and healthcare.”
Now, after the Union home minister’s statement, the state government will move in this direction,” said Dinesh Pratap Singh, chief spokesperson, state BJP. “The narrative around UCC will help the party counter the opposition’s poll plank on caste to some extent,” said a senior BJP leader, putting the 2027 assembly polls in perspective.
