BJP's minorities rally in Nagpur on Saturday

NAGPUR: After the Dalit rights convention held recently, the BJP has now planned a minorities' rally in the city on Saturday. This special convention, aimed mainly at wooing the Muslim community, will be held at Chitnis Park as part of election campaign for BJP candidate Nitin Gadkari.

Even since he announced his plan to contest for Lok Sabha from Nagpur, Gadkari has been trying every move to cosy up to the Dalits and minorities who together are believed to add up to over 5 lakh votes in the city and decide the poll outcome in city. Traditionally, both these communities seldom favour the BJP. As a result, it has never been able to win the seat, except once, in 15 Lok Sabha elections spanning six decades.

As part of winning over Muslims, Gadkari was instrumental last year in appointing a corporator elected from Mominpura ward - Jaitun Bi - as deputy mayor of the BJP-headed civic body.

Senior BJP leaders, former deputy chairperson of Rajya Sabha Najma Heptullah and former aviation minister Shahnawaz Hussain will be chief speakers at the minorities convention.

Meanwhile, in another development, the BJP finalized the name of Ramdas Tadas as its Lok Sabha nominee from Wardha constituency. Tadas, a one-time close associate of Congress MP Datta Meghe, switched over to the BJP couple of years ago.