Kolkata, Oct. 9 -- West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday said welfare schemes had helped counter misconceptions among Bengali-speaking Muslims about the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as the party led in the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly by-elections, according to Election Commission trends.

Vote counting is underway in the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly constituencies following by-elections held on October 6.

Speaking in Kolkata about the Rejinagar bypoll, Adhikari said a significant number of women from the Muslim community had received assistance under the Annapurna Yojana and pension schemes.

"In Rejinagar, 70,000 women, including 35,000 from the Muslim minority community, have benefited from the Annapurna Yojan...