In a shocker, Karnataka rural development minister KS Eshwarappa said that BJP will not give ticket to any Muslim candidate for the bypoll to Belagavi Lok Sabha seat. Eshwarappa said that the party might give a ticket to a candidate of any community of the Hindus but not to Muslims. A candidate who can win by gaining the trust of the people will be selected, the senior BJP leader told reporters. The Belagavi Lok Sabha seat fell vacant recently following the death of Union minister of state for railways Suresh Angadi due to COVID-19. The bypoll for the seat is yet to be announced by the Election Commission. This is not the first time that Eshwarappa has sparked a controversy by making such comments. In April 2019, he had said BJP will not give tickets to Muslims to contest the elections as they do not believe in the party. Meanwhile, senior Telangana Congress leader V Hanumantha Rao slammed the minister for his statement and said that BJP wants to convert India into a Hindu nation. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi termed former Karnataka Dy CM KS Eshwarappa's 'no Muslim candidate' remark as shameful & disgusting but not surprising.

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