Jaipur, Nov 16 (UNI) Against the backdrop of the persistent criticism by the BJP-Sangh Parivar, for the Congress president Rahul Gandhi's temple runs during poll campaign in different states, the latter's party has given tickets to nine Muslims for December 7 Assembly polls in Rajasthan.
Seeking to maintain the secular credentials, the grand old party--that has been targeted by many leaders of the saffron brigade for its "pseudo Hinduism" in the wake of Gandhi's visits to temples in recent months-- has accommodated nine candidates from the Muslim community in the list of 152 nominees, released late Thursday night.
This included sitting MLA Habib-ur-Rehman who switched over to the party from the ruling BJP on Wednesday itself, following denial of the ticket by the latter. Rehman has now been fielded by his new party on his old seat Nagaur.
Besides this, Danish Abrar, son of former Union Minister late Abrar Ahmad, got ticket from his family bastion Sawai Madhopur and late Congress leader Salim Kagdi's son Ameen is being fielded from Kishanpole constituency in the state capital here.
Likewise, Ms Naseem Akhtar Insaaf will contest on the Pushkar seat in Ajmer district and Zakir Hussain Gaisawat will enter the fray for the Makrana seat in Nagaur district.
Other contestants from the minority community are Saleh Khan(Pokaran-Jaisalmer), Amin Khan(Sheo-Barmer), Rafiq Mandeliya(Churu) and Hakim Ali (Fatehpur-Shekhawati).
Since the party is yet to announce its candidates on remaining 48 of the 200 seats to the state legislature, this figure of representation of the Muslim community could be improved further.
Contrary to this, no Muslim name figured in the two lists of total 162 nominees, released so far by the ruling party.
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