BJP’s minority cell heads from 5 states in Patna huddle

Together, the five states Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Bengal and Odisha account for 197 seats in the Lok Sabha and have a significant Muslim population.

In a bid to woo Muslim voters in the electorally crucial states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Bengal and Odisha, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) organised a meeting of representatives of these states in Patna on Wednesday.

On February 15-16, a national convention of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) would be organised by the BJP in Patna. (File)

Together, the five states account for 197 seats in the Lok Sabha and have a significant Muslim population.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of BJP’s minority cell national president Abdul Rashid Ansari.

“The meeting discussed preparedness of the party’s state units for the proposed two-day national convention in New Delhi, to be held on January 31 and February 1 next year. It also discussed role of the minority cell in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and how effectively it can help educate the Muslim community on the issue of triple talaq,” said Tufail Quadri, BJP’s minority cell’s Bihar unit president.

On February 15-16, a national convention of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) would be organised by the BJP in Patna.

Addressing the meeting on Wednesday, Ansari said that Delhi meeting will be attended by state office-bearers and district unit presidents from across the country. “Minorities’ faith in PM Modi has increased the way he has served the country. The entire world takes India’s name with pride,” said Ansari.

Sources in the BJP’s minority cell said office-bearers had also been asked to apprise people of the Centre’s ordinance making instant triple talaq a criminal offence. “There is also a possibility that the state unit may follow the UP model and appoint ‘teen talaq pramukhs’ in order to reach out to triple talaq victims and seek their suggestions for better rehabilitation,” said a party leader.

According to Quadri, minority leaders from the party have been tasked to reach out to every Muslim household in the state. “We will acquaint them with the inclusive nature of the policies of the central government,” he said. “We will also let them know about the Ujwala Yojana, which aims at providing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) connections to BPL households, and other central and state government policies which have reached them. Under Ujwala Yojana, 50 lakh connections have been given in Bihar so far.”

Quadri said there was also a plan to organise a convention of women from the minority community sometime in January or February next year.