JAMSHEDPUR: Food and civil supplies minister
Saryu Rai on Wednesday expressed his concern over BJP's inability to get Muslim support in
Jamshedpur constituency in the just-concluded
Lok Sabha election.
While talking to media persons here, Rai said, "Muslims are good people, but I do not think they prefer to vote for us." He added, "Although we worked hard to win their hearts, they did not vote for us."
Rai's comments came against the backdrop of BJP getting a mere 1,128 votes in 50 Muslim-dominated booths at
Azadnagar and Mango in Jamshedpur constituency.
The minister's statement coincided with the resignation of BJP's district minority cell president, Aftab Ahmed Siddiqui, from his post owning responsibility for the party's poor performance in the polls in Muslim-dominated areas.
Rai said, "We will take out abhar yatra (thanksgiving march) in the constituency from June 2 to June 9 to express our gratitude to all those who voted for BJP and helped the Narendra Modi-led government be in power for a second straight term."