For Kolkata, Howrah civic polls, BJP seeks applications through emails, drop-boxes

As the Puja festival concludes and the upcoming municipal elections in Kolkata and Howrah draw near, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has initiated the process of gathering candidate applications. The BJP has invited interested individuals, including notable figures, to submit their applications via drop-boxes, postal mail, and emails by October 26 at 5 pm.

Sukanta Majumdar, Union Minister and the party's point person for the KMC polls, announced this deadline at a press conference in Kolkata on Saturday. He emphasized that the last date for submitting applications is October 26, and no further applications will be considered thereafter.

Majumdar clarified that while BJP workers will be given priority, it does not preclude others from contesting the elections. Prominent personalities are also eligible to apply and can submit their applications through the designated drop-boxes. He highlighted that the main criteria for selecting candidates are winnability and personal image.

The BJP intends to consult with party members at various levels, from booth-level workers to the highest leadership, before finalizing the candidate list. Majumdar stated that the party will take all opinions into account before making the final decision.

The BJP has announced that they will release the list of candidates soon after the election schedule is declared. The party plans to announce the list within three to four days of the announcement of the election dates. When asked about the possibility of forming an alliance with the National Council of the Praja Itihas (NCPI), a breakaway faction of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Majumdar affirmed that the BJP will contest all 209 wards of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on their own symbol.

He noted that while people may come and go, the BJP remains committed to supporting those who have stood by the party during challenging times.

Addressing the Mamata Banerjee faction of the TMC, Majumdar dismissed any concerns they might have about the BJP's actions. He advised them to focus on winning their own ward first rather than worrying about the BJP's strategies. Majumdar concluded by noting that the BJP has always known that the TMC, Congress, and Left parties in Bengal are divided, contrasting this with the unity seen in Delhi.