The BJP will contest the Kolkata and Howrah civic polls on its own, ruling out an alliance with other parties at the municipal level, party leader Rahul Sinha said on Saturday, even as Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar left the door open for a possible tie-up with the NCPI.
Clarifying the party's position on alliances, Sinha said the BJP had electoral arrangements with other NDA partners at the parliamentary level but no such understanding below that level.
His remarks came amid demands by NPCI leaders for an alliance in the civic polls.
"Look, there are several parties in the NDA, and we have alliances with them at the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha levels, that is, at the parliamentary level. But there is no alliance below that level, and there is no electoral alliance at the municipal level," Sinha said at a press conference.
Asked about a possible tie-up with the NCPI, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said at a press conference earlier in the day that the BJP would contest all 209 seats in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) elections but did not rule out an understanding with the outfit.
"Nothing is impossible, but so far there is no news of any alliance," he said.
The NCPI, a little-known political outfit, emerged as a new player in Bengal politics after 20 TMC MPs crossed over following Mamata Banerjee's defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections. The breakaway MPs subsequently extended support to the BJP-led NDA at the Centre.
Claiming that the BJP faced no strong opposition in the two civic contests, Sinha compared the situation to a football match in which one team had 11 players while the other had only a goalkeeper.
Sinha said the party had begun preparations for the elections and received applications from a large number of workers seeking tickets.
The BJP would prioritise candidates with a strong chance of winning and a clean public image. Those with criminal backgrounds or a poor reputation in their localities would not be considered for tickets, he said.
He alleged that the previous government under the Trinamool Congress (TMC) had neglected Howrah for years, leaving roads in poor condition and drainage and sewerage systems inadequate.
He also claimed that Kolkata had failed to realise its full potential in civic development despite central assistance.
Sinha alleged that the TMC had altered the administrative arrangement for Bally after realising that its inclusion in the Howrah Municipal Corporation could hurt the party's electoral prospects.
The BJP leader said the party was preparing for the elections in both cities, anticipating that the polls could be announced in early November.
Sinha said the BJP wanted the elections to be conducted peacefully, without the violence and intimidation that he alleged had marked previous civic polls in the state.
The party had instructed its workers to maintain peace, and disciplinary action would be taken against those attempting to create disturbances, he said.
Appealing to residents of both cities to support the BJP, Sinha promised to improve civic amenities and modernise urban infrastructure, with the aim of making Kolkata one of the country's leading metropolitan cities and transforming Howrah into a more developed and liveable urban centre.
Majumdar said aspirants seeking candidature from Kolkata and Howrah civic polls can drop their applications by 5 pm on October 26.
The applications can be submitted in a drop box kept at the party office on Muralidhar Sen Lane in north Kolkata, he said.
A candidate's public image would be given priority while selecting nominees, he said.
Majumdar said the party was seeking applications from important personalities to ensure diverse representation.
The minister, responsible for the KMC elections for the BJP, said the party will release its candidate list within three days of the announcement of the civic polls.
Majumdar had earlier urged important personalities to participate in the development of Bengal.