No Muslim names in BJP’s Bengal list

KOLKATA: The Bharatiya Janata Party has not fielded a single Muslim candidate in the Bengal elections, even in seats where minority members were nominated in the previous state polls, despite having around two lakh Muslim members in the state. Eight Muslim candidates were fielded in the 2021 elections and three Muslim candidates were fielded in the 2016 elections.The party on Wednesday announced its final candidate, Rakesh Singh, who is contesting from Kolkata port. Bengal BJP minority president Ali Husain said: “…the party believes that responsibility to a community does not depend on fielding candidates from that community.” The party top brass further said that the selection of candidates is based on “winability”, adding that it would be difficult for Muslim candidates to win votes for the BJP as the party’s platform is disconnected from the voting patterns of community members. The Congress party fielded the highest number of Muslim candidates at 78, followed by the TMC with 47 and the Left Front with 26.