BJP to increase the number of Muslim candidates in West Bengal polls, West Bengal assembly elections, West Bengal assembly elections 2016, West Bengal , Shakeel Ansari , Mamata Banerjee , Kailash Vijayvargiya , Bihar , Muslim candidates
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- Last Updated: Thursday, 24 December 2015 14:53
BJP to increase the number of Muslim candidates in West Bengal polls, West Bengal assembly elections, West Bengal assembly elections 2016, West Bengal , Shakeel Ansari , Mamata Banerjee , Kailash Vijayvargiya , Bihar , Muslim candidates
KOLKATA: Stung by the Bihar debacle, the BJP is likely to bring a major shift in its electoral policy. The party that has faced criticism for its "one-sided" selection of candidates in Bihar, has decided to increase the number of Muslim candidates in the 2016 Bengal assembly election, sources said.
While some party leaders are expecting at least a tenfold rise in the number of Muslim candidates, BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said the party will try fielding minority candidates in the areas dominated by them.
In the 2011 assembly election, there were four Muslims on the candidate list of the BJP. However, in the upcoming election in Bengal, BJP plans to field candidates from the community in all the Muslim-dominated constituencies. Results of the Bihar election made the central leadership rethink the party's policy towards its minority members.
BJP members in Bengal have demanded at least a 10 per cent representation of minorities on the candidate list. Party insiders claim that there has been resent ..
There is, of course, another reason that prompted the BJP leadership to ponder over the issue.
The ruling TMC in the last assembly polls fielded Muslim candidates in 39 of the 294 seats. With barely three months to go for the election, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seems keen to keep the minority communities contented. This has worried the BJP leadership.
"Last time, we had four Muslim candidates. However, in 2016 election, we have planned to increase the number to 44," said Shakeel Ansari, chief of the minority wing of BJP.
src:ET