After two polls with no Muslims, why BJP has fielded 8 in Jaipur elections
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has made a notable shift in its candidate selection for the upcoming Jaipur municipal corporation elections, contrary to its previous stance of not fielding Muslim candidates. This year, the BJP has nominated eight Muslim candidates for the elections, which will take place on September 9 and 11, with results declared on September 14.
Shabab Jahan, who lost in the 2020 elections, is set to retain her position in Ward 117. The BJP's spokesperson, Ramlal Sharma, expressed confidence in the party's ability to garner support from the Muslim community, citing their focus on development and citing Jahan's 15 years of association with the party.
Other nominated candidates include Afsana (Ward 146), Mizan Mirza (136), Rahees Mansuri (137), Majid Pathan (128), Fariuddin (113), Zakir Khan (109), Shehnawaz Ansari (19), and former Jaipur Mayor Jyoti Khandelwal (Ward 110). Pathan, who has benefited from the BJP's schemes like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Ujjwala Yojana, remains hopeful of winning the election on local issues.
The Congress party has accused the BJP of trying to change its perception within the Muslim community, citing the BJP's traditionally anti-Muslim image. The BJP's unusual candidate selection process, involving phone notifications, aims to prevent internal disputes and discourage independents.
Written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
