5 Muslim candidates find place in BJP's list for 3rd phase of Assam polls

The BJP on Sunday announced a list of 17 candidates for the third phase of elections on April 6 and the list includes the names of five Muslim and two women candidates.

The BJP picked Muslim candidates for South Salmara (Ashadul Islam), Bilasipara West (Abu Bakkar Siddique), Jaleswar (Osman Goni), Jania (Shahidul Islam) and Baghbor (Hasinara Khatun) in western Assam, where Muslim voters play a key role. These constituencies had elected AIUDF and Congress candidates in 2016.

In the third phase, 40 constituencies in Western Assam (Dhubri, South Salmara, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Kamrup, Kamrup Metro, Kokrajhar, Chirang and Baksa) will go for polls on April 6. Polling will be conducted for 47 of 126 Assembly seats in the first phase on March 27 and in the second on April 1 for 39 seats.

Read: Barring Assam, BJP will lose all upcoming state polls: Sharad Pawar

Three Muslim candidates were earlier named in the list of 70 candidates, the saffron party announced on March 5. The list announced on Sunday included names of cabinet minister Chandra Mohan Patowary, sitting MLA Suman Haripriya (Hajo), Guwahati Development Department Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharjee (Guwahati East) and Atul Bora (Dispur). Haripriya is the daughter of former Union minister Bijoya Chakraborty.

The inclusion of eight Muslim candidates in BJP's list assumes significance at a time the Congress-led grand alliance of the seven Opposition parties is trying to unite the Muslim votes against the ruling BJP and its allies in Assam.