Why BJP is looking to ditch TMC rebels, go solo in Bengal civic polls

The BJP plans to contest the upcoming municipal elections in West Bengal's Kolkata and Howrah corporations alone, refusing to form an alliance with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) rebels who have aligned with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). This decision is significant as the BJP prepares for crucial electoral tests in Kolkata and Howrah following its strong performance in the recent state Assembly polls.

The KMC and HMC elections are expected to take place after the Durga Puja festivities, with the electoral map of both corporations undergoing substantial changes due to recent delimitation exercises. The BJP's president, Samik Bhattacharya, emphasized that the party will fight these polls on its own strength and win, stating that Delhi and Kolkata are 1,500 kilometers apart, and national-level political arrangements do not necessarily translate into electoral alliances in Bengal.

The NCPI, however, remains hopeful of a tie-up with the BJP, citing its association with the NDA in Parliament. The TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee, has expressed reservations about the delimitation process, arguing that it should have been based on population rather than the number of voters, which they believe would have been more favorable to the party.