The BJP had earlier said it would field in Muslim-dominant districts a large number of candidates from the community.
The BJP has fielded its highest ever number of Muslim candidates in panchayat elections for the upcoming three-tier contest scheduled for May 14, the party’s state minority morcha president Ali Hossain told The Indian Express.
In the 2013 panchayat polls, BJP had fielded around 100 Muslims among a total of 9,000 candidates. This year, the party has fielded 29,292 candidates. “Over 1,000 Muslim candidates of BJP will contest panchayat polls. We have fielded around 15 Muslim candidates in zilla parishads. In gram panchayats, over Muslim 800 candidates including 300 in North Dinajpur district, will contest. In panchayat samitis, over 100 Muslim candidates have been fielded,” Hossain, who is also the party’s election in-charge of Jaipaiguri district, said.
The BJP had earlier said it would field in Muslim-dominant districts a large number of candidates from the community, eyeing the support of 27 per cent Muslim voters to make further inroads into the state, especially North Bengal.
There are four districts in North Bengal with large Muslim populations. According to a 2011 census, Malda has a 51 per cent Muslim population, North Dinajpur has 49 per cent, South Dinajpur has 42 per cent, while Cooch Behar has a 31 per cent minority population, of which a large number are Muslims.
According to Hossain, the party has fielded maximum Muslim candidates in Malda, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Birbhum and South 24 Parganas districts this year. Of its 15 Muslim candidates in zilla parishads, it has fielded 5 in North Dinajpur district, 4 in Malda, 2 in East Midnapore and one each in Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, South Dinajpur and Hooghly. BJP candidate Anwar Hossain withdrew his zilla parishad nomination in Cooch Behar district after receiving alleged threats from TMC workers.
“We have been able to field so many Muslim candidates as we received a positive response from them. The minority community is now of the view that BJP does not believe in only appeasing a community, but…works for the overall development of every community. They have realised that the three parties (Congress, Left Front and TMC) which ruled the state did not do anything to change their present condition. If you look at other BJP-ruled states, the condition of Muslims is far better than their counterparts in West Bengal. They live with dignity in those states,” state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said while speaking to this newspaper.
“This year, so many Muslim candidates have filed their nominations and in most cases they will win…They no longer consider our party as anti-minority community. They have understood that it is the BJP which can usher in overall development for their community,” he added.