Overview
- Rajeev Chandrasekhar told reporters in Kozhikode that the Union cabinet has no Muslim ministers because the BJP has no Muslim MPs in the current Lok Sabha.
- He said Muslims are not voting for the BJP, asked what benefit they get by backing Congress, and described the issue as a chicken-and-egg question of trust.
- Chandrasekhar cited past BJP Muslim leaders such as Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Shahnawaz Hussain and pointed to Muslim Rajya Sabha MPs from Jammu and Kashmir.
- He highlighted Muslim BJP candidates in Kerala’s December 9 and 11 local-body polls and said a party outreach led by Abdul Salam is engaging with the community.
- Reports noted his comments prompted a political row as he pressed a campaign message that representation is earned through electoral mandate and promoted a double-engine government for Kerala.