Kolkata: Bharatiya Janata Party leader and West Bengal assembly opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari said he never claimed the BJP does not want Muslim votes. He addressed a rally in Mandirbazar in South 24 Parganas and stated that Muslims in the state do not vote for the party. He referred to voting patterns from past elections to make his point. In Nandigram, he received around four hundred Muslim votes. The CPI(M) candidate received around twelve hundred. Trinamool Congress gained more than sixty four thousand Muslim votes.
Adhikari accused Trinamool Congress of using clerics to influence Muslim voters. He said the BJP speaks about development. He also said the party does not discriminate on religious lines. He urged Muslim voters to review the record of both parties.
Adhikari commented on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of the voters list. He said the process will remove illegal Muslim immigrants from the rolls. He accused the state government of giving protection to illegal immigrants and Rohingya refugees. He said the BJP will stop this practice.
BJP Bengal minder and Bihar health minister Mangal Panday also addressed concerns about the revision exercise. He alleged that Trinamool workers are threatening booth level officers and pressuring them to ignore the Election Commission’s instructions. He said the ruling party depends on illegal voters to sustain itself.
Senior BJP leaders said Muslim voters in Bihar have shown interest in diversifying their choices in the current political environment. They said this reflects a shift in mood among sections of the electorate.
