Kozhikode: Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar has sparked a political controversy by linking the absence of a Muslim minister in the central cabinet to voting patterns of the Muslim community. Speaking at the Meet the Press program organised by the Kozhikode Press Club, Chandrasekhar said, “The truth is, Muslims do not vote for us. But what do they gain by voting for Congress? We have never harmed anyone.”

Chandrasekhar pointed out at the presence of Muslim leaders within the BJP, including Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Shahnawaz Hussain, and stressed that there are Muslim MPs in the Rajya Sabha from Jammu & Kashmir. He also noted that BJP fields Muslim candidates in Kerala local body elections and recalled that former President APJ Abdul Kalam became President under the NDA.

“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,” Chandrasekhar added.

He criticised the ruling fronts in Kerala, saying their promises of development remain unfulfilled, and stressed that the BJP sees the upcoming elections as crucial, “We will work hard to earn the trust of the Muslim community and end this poisonous campaign led by LDF and UDF.”

Chandrasekhar called the Kerala election “not a semi-final or quarter-final, but a final” and reiterated the BJP’s vision of a developed Kerala, emphasising the party’s commitment to change and good governance.