No BJP Muslim candidate for municipal polls

Kolkata: With two of its minority candidates withdrawing their nomination due to alleged intimidation by TMC, the state BJP has decided against fielding any Muslim candidate in the upcoming municipal polls.

The state BJP is confident that the decision will send a “right message” among the people as the party “does not follow the politics of appeasement”.

“We had fielded two minority candidates in Panskura municipality. But due to TMC’s intimidation, they had withdrawn their nomination. So we decided that we won’t field any Muslim candidate as most of the wards of these civic bodies do not have a large Muslim population,” BJP Minority Morcha president Ali Hossain told PTI

The allegation of intimidation by TMC was refuted by TMC leader Suvendu Adhikari as “completely baseless”.

BJP state president Dilip Ghosh was confident that instead of sending a wrong message, it would convey a right message. “It would send a right message among the masses, as people would understand that like TMC, Congress and BJP we don’t follow the politics of appeasement,” Ghosh told PTI.

“Our party had done the same thing in Uttar Pradesh elections and we had tasted success,” another state BJP leader said. The civic bodies where the elections will be held are Durgapur Municipal Corporation with 43 wards, Dhupguri in Jalpaiguri and Buniadpur in Dakshin Dinajpur having 16 and 14 wards respectively. Two municipalities in East Midnapore.

Elections will be held at Cooper’s Camp notified area with 12 wards and Nalhati Municipality in Birbhum with 16 wards. There will be two bye-elections in two wards at Champdani Municipality in Hooghly and Jhargram Municipality in Jhargram. Election in seven civic bodies will be held on August 13 and  results will be declared on August 17.