BJP announces solo candidacy for Kolkata and Howrah civic polls

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced it will contest the upcoming Kolkata and Howrah municipal elections independently, ruling out formal alliances at the local level despite existing NDA partnerships at the parliamentary level.

To prepare for the elections, which are expected to be announced in early November, the BJP has opened a candidate application process. Prospective candidates, including professionals such as doctors, engineers, lawyers, and social workers, are invited to submit biodata via a drop-box at the party’s former state headquarters in central Kolkata. The deadline for applications is October 26.

Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar stated that the party intends to field candidates in all 209 wards of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation following recent delimitation. While Majumdar did not entirely rule out a potential understanding with the NCPI, he maintained that no official alliance is currently in place. The party's selection criteria will focus on electoral winnability, public image, and administrative ability.