The Welfare Party of India (WPI),Andhra Pradesh, will organise its first state-level conference on26 Mayto announce its assembly election plans, party’s state unit president Malik Moatasim Khan said on 6 May. The WPI came into being around 18 months ago and prefers to work with minorities and other marginalised sections of society. Khan announced that the party was ready to take the plunge and contest in the assembly elections. The party will also take part in local body polls whenever they are held, he said, adding that the process to select the candidates will start soon after the first state level conference.
Outlining the agenda of the party he said it would demand 12% reservation for minorities in education and employment. Also, representation of the Muslims in elections must be in proportion with their population of 10%, which works out to 30 MLAs and 5 MPs in the state. He claimed that the WPI cadre in districts was approximately around a lakh.