Ahead of the UK general election, both Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour Leader Keir Starmer have been actively engaging with British Hindu voters in their final campaign push.
Sunak, 44, visited the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden on Sunday, emphasizing his commitment: "This mandir stands as a great statement of the contributions that this community makes to Britain," he said, blending prayers with promises to uphold Conservative values of education, hard work, and family.
Starmer, 61, chose the Swaminarayan Temple in Kingsbury on Friday, where he reiterated his pledge to build a strategic partnership with India: "If we're elected next week, we will strive to govern in the spirit of sewa to serve you and a world in need," he declared, affirming Labour's stance against Hinduphobia in Britain.
The campaigning follows the launch of a 'Hindu Manifesto' by a coalition of British Hindu organizations, marking the first such initiative ahead of a UK general election. The manifesto calls for proactive measures to safeguard Hindu places of worship and combat anti-Hindu prejudice.
Both leaders recognize the significance of the Hindu community, which constitutes a substantial electorate in the UK. According to the 2021 census, around 1 million people identify as Hindus in Britain.
“The ‘Hindu Manifesto’ is a call to action for all parliamentary candidates and political parties to engage with and support the Hindu community in their constituencies,” says the Hindus for Democracy group behind the initiative.
“It highlights the contributions of Hindus to the UK’s social, cultural and economic fabric and seeks to build a future where these contributions are recognised, valued, protected and promoted for a better future for all,” the group said.“For the Conservative Party, obviously, they have Rishi Sunak – a British Indian leader – for the first time. It’s an unknown factor how much it will matter to British Indian voters that the leader of the party is from their background,” notes Sunder Katwala, Director of the British Future think tank.
"With just days to go before polling day on Thursday, both leaders are expected to undertake a so-called campaign blitz – zig-zagging different parts of the United Kingdom including other places of worship to clinch any remaining undecided votes," reports indicate.
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