London may additionally opt for first Muslim mayor, opponent uses Modi card

LNDON: With Pakistani-foundation Sadiq Khan probable to come to be London’s new mayor, his Conservative foe Zac Goldsmith is the use of Indian top Minister Narendra Modi’s call to woo Hindu and Sikh votes.
voting is taking place on Thursday in England, Scotland and Wales to decide on mayors and fill upassembly and parliamentary seats. The struggle for London’s mayorship has turn out to be the maximumhigh-profile contest.
All indications are that Khan, 45, a former human rights legal professional and a Labour MP from Tootingdue to the fact that 2005, will emerge the winner. so one can make the previous bus motive force‘s son Europe’s maximum powerful Muslim politician.
Khan became the transport minister in then high Minister Gordon Brown’s authorities in 2009-10. Hebecome the primary Muslim minister to wait cupboard conferences.
Married to solicitor Saadiya Ahmed, the couple have two daughters. Khan is proud of his British linkages.
i’m a Londoner, i’m european, i’m British, i am English, i’m of Islamic faith, of Asian beginning, of Pakistani historical past, a dad, a husband,” he stated in a the big apple instances interview.
Khan’s grandparents migrated to newly created Pakistan following India’s blood-soaked partition in 1947. Hismother and father shifted to Britain simply before he was born in 1970.
A YouGov ballot gave the Labour candidate a 16factor lead among first-preference votes, with 48 percentof help, followed by means of Goldsmith on 32 percentage.
while 2nddesire votes have been reallocated, the cut up was 60 percentage assist for Khan and 40percentage for Goldsmith.
Arguably, the election is slanted in Khan’s favour.
the brand new London Mayor will update Boris Johnson, a Conservative who has held the submit given that2008.
Khan has promised to cope with the metropolis‘s housing disaster, freeze shipping fares for four years, create more task opportunities for Londoners and cut pollution.
“I need all Londoners to have the equal possibilities that our metropolis gave me: a domestic they couldmanage to pay for, a excessiveprofessional process with decent pay, an less expensive and modern-day transport machine and a secure, clean and healthy surroundings,” he has said.
Muslim groups whinge the mayoral contest has sunk to “stressful lows”. The Conservatives have beenaccused of trying to take advantage of racial tensions to assist Goldsmith win, the economic instancessaid.
Customised leaflets addressed to Hindu, Sikh and Tamil electorate mention topics together with Narendra Modi, the 1984 killing of Sikhs in India and the Sri Lankan civil warfare.
The Muslim affiliation of england said it turned into disturbed how a few candidates had gone to severemeasures to attack both Islamic practices or Muslims to attract guide.
Catherine Heseltine of the Muslim Public Affairs Committee, a civil liberties organization, stated Goldsmithturned intoglaringly no longer interested by Muslim electorate“. She stated the leaflets “efficientlyhighlight to Hindu citizens that Sadiq Khan is a Muslim”.One leaflet had a photo of Goldsmith assemblyModi on a go to to London and mentioned that Khan did not.
Ash Mukherjee, 40, a management consultant from India who has lived in Britain in view that 1993, statedhe concept Goldsmith changed into “subtly positioning” himself “as seasoned-Modi and thereforeseasoned-Hindu” in opposition to Khan.
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