The Bengal BJP will contest all 209 proposed wards of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) independently in the civic election, eyeing to “reconstruct” the city, said election preparation in-charge Sukanta Majumdar on Sunday.
Majumdar also ruled out any understanding with NCPI — the rebel faction of Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MPs.
Briefing the media on the party’s organisational preparations and electoral roadmap, Majumdar said there had been no instruction from the state BJP leadership or chief minister Suvendu Adhikari to explore any arrangement with the NCPI.
The corporation election is likely to be held after the festive season.
The party has also decided against projecting a mayoral candidate in advance, leaving the choice to its elected councillors after the election.
The BJP has begun receiving applications from prospective candidates, with a few thousand applications already received, Majumdar said.
From Sunday, a dedicated drop box was installed at the party’s old office at 6 Muralidhar Lane, designated as its civic election war room, to receive applications and resumes from aspirants.
Although the party believes it has enough organisational strength to field candidates in every ward, it is seeking participation beyond its traditional political base, inviting professionals and prominent citizens to enter electoral politics so that new ideas can be explored.
“The party invites people from all walks of life, including doctors, engineers, lawyers, social workers and other eminent personalities, to come forward and contest the election rather than remain spectators,” Majumdar said. The initiative, he added, was intended to build a transparent and active civic administration free from what the BJP described as “promoter raj” and “developer raj”.
The BJP has claimed it led in 104 of the pre-delimitation 144 wards in the 2026 Assembly elections, a figure it hopes to translate into an electoral advantage in the civic polls. However, the proposed expansion would require the party to broaden its outreach and organisational presence.
Majumdar sought to frame the civic election as a contest over the city’s future rather than merely a political battle. “Calcutta, once the centre of the Bengal Renaissance, has suffered damage to its economic infrastructure and employment opportunities under successive Congress, Left and Trinamool regimes during the last 49 years. The Trinamool Congress’s 15-year rule has further tarnished Bengal’s image through corruption. This civic election will not be merely a political contest; it will determine Calcutta’s future, the standard of civic services and the scope for their improvement,” he said.
The party plans to reach residents in every ward to identify local problems and seek possible solutions, with particular emphasis on engaging young people. “We want the youth to share their views and participate in this process rather than remain spectators,” Majumdar said.
Candidate selection will prioritise winnability, while assessing transparency, public acceptability and organisational capabilities. The final selection, Majumdar said, would follow the standard operating procedure (SOP) laid down by the party’s central leadership.
In response, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Krishanu Mitra alleged: “Across several cities governed by the BJP, civic infrastructure and urban development have deteriorated compared with the standards achieved before the party came to power.”
“Surat in Gujarat, where the BJP has governed the civic body for years, offers a case in point,” he added.