As per an undeclared list of 114 candidates of BJP for Surat Municipal Corporation election, the party is all set to field Muslim candidates in Muslim majority areas for the first time.

Till now, in the areas where Muslims are in majority, and Hindus are in minority, the BJP has traditionally accepted a policy to field minority Hindu candidates only. The party looses the election in such wards most of the time.

However in undeclared list of 114 candidates for Surat Municipal Corporation, available to media on 23 September night, the BJP has included two Muslim names.

While Zakir Shah is selected for candidature in Mughal Sarai ward, A Muslim woman Shayda Sheikh has been selected for Anjana ward.Each ward has three candidates panel. Barring one in each of two wards mentioned above, the other candidates in Mughal the panels are Hindus.

It would be interesting to see, whether party goes on same line while selecting the candidates for Muslim majority area s of other five cities Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar.

Last year, BJP had nominated five Muslim candidates in Junagadh Municipal Corporation election, 10% of total candidates, but none could win. All Muslim candidates elected were from Congress, leaving one from BSP.