The Hindu nationalist BJP supports women and Muslim candidates

The Indian Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, the BJP, says it has decided to nominate more women and Muslims as candidates in the general election due early next year.

Speaking at the end of a meeting of the BJP national executive committee, a senior party leader, Atal Behari Vajpayee, said the BJP election campaign would start later this week.

He said there was a public desire for change and expressed optimism that the BJP would get a majority with the help of its allies.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service