‘They do not vote for us’: Kerala BJP chief on lack of Muslim ministers; announces outreach push | India News – The Times of India

NEW DELHI: Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Wednesday said the absence of Muslim ministers in the Union cabinet reflects electoral mandate, not exclusion, stating that “muslims donot vote for us” and the party is now working to build trust among Muslim voters. He said outreach will be central to the BJP’s strategy as it seeks to counter what he described as decades of “misconception-driven” narratives about the party.“The truth is, Muslims do not vote for us. But what do they gain by voting for Congress?” Chandrasekhar said in Kozhikode, maintaining that the BJP has never discriminated against Muslims and has given representation whenever backed by voters.Chandrasekhar asserted that the party has included Muslim leaders within government and organisational structures. “There are Muslim MPs and leaders in the BJP, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Shahnawaz Hussain. Even today, there are Muslim MPs in the Rajya Sabha from J&K. In Kerala, there are many Muslim BJP candidates in local body elections. Former President APJ Abdul Kalam became President under the NDA. We have done our part. Before 2017, there wasn’t a single Cabinet Minister from Kerala either. Our National Vice President is Abdullakutty, and our State Vice President is Abdul Salam. BJP is not Jamaat-e-Islami. We believe in the Constitution and democracy. Jamaat-e-Islami openly states that they do not want the Constitution and do not believe in democracy. We will work hard to earn the trust of the Muslim community and end this poisonous campaign led by LDF and UDF…”“For the last 30 years, a false narrative has been created that we are communal and anti-Muslim. This is hypocrisy at its highest level. We openly state that we work for everyone,” he added, noting that a Muslim outreach team led by Prof Abdul Salam is in dialogue with community groups to address perception gaps.He further said the party respects all faiths but opposes organisations he claims work against constitutional values. “We are against Jamaat-e-Islami and SDPI because they act against the Constitution. We are also against those who support them, the LDF and Congress,” Chandrasekhar said.Opposition parties criticised the remarks, accusing the BJP of justifying under-representation rather than addressing it. Chandrasekhar maintained that minority outreach is a gradual process and said the party will continue engagement with Muslim communities ahead of future elections.