BJP plans minority meet ahead of rural polls

Kolkata:  With an eye on minority votes ahead of this year’s panchayat polls, West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to organise a conference to reach out to the minority communities.

The minority conference will be held on January 11 in Kolkata and party leaders of the state and the central minority cell will address it, West Bengal BJP minority cell president Ali Hossain said.

“Opposition parties always try to paint the BJP as an anti-minority party, but the fact is the BJP has always worked for the development of minorities. “Through this conference we will promote the development works undertaken by the Narendra Modi government,” Mr Ali said.

The minority conference assumes significance ahead of the rural polls as Muslims constitute 30 per cent of the total population of the state and the ruling Trinamul Congress has a strong support base among them.

Panchayat polls in the state is likely to be held in the middle of the year.

Mr Ali said the condition of minorities in West Bengal has not improved under the TMC government and the Muslims are looking up to the BJP to address their grievances.  The support base of the party among Muslims is increasing with every passing day, he claimed.