Kerala BJP state president and former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Tuesday attributed the absence of Muslim ministers in the Union cabinet to the community’s lack of electoral support for the Bharatiya Janata Party, as he addressed a press conference in Kozhikode and argued that the responsibility for representation ultimately rests with voters rather than the party.
He maintained that the BJP could not be faulted for the current situation, noting that the party has no Muslim MPs in either House of Parliament and that the composition of the cabinet merely reflects this parliamentary reality.
Chandrasekhar contended that the issue stemmed from a long-standing trust deficit, which he insisted had not arisen from any action on the part of the BJP, and he questioned the community’s voting patterns by contrasting their support for rival parties with the absence of perceived benefits derived from such choices.
He also pointed out that the BJP and the NDA had included Muslim leaders in earlier periods, citing figures who had previously held ministerial positions, and he added that the alliance continues to have representation from Kashmir, thereby suggesting that the party has not excluded the community but has been constrained by electoral outcomes.