Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya on Friday dismissed speculation that former Trinamul Congress councillors would be fielded by the saffron party in the upcoming Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) elections.
He said the BJP had not yet finalised its candidates for the urban local body polls, amid buzz over its selection process.
Elections to the Kolkata and Howrah municipal corporations are likely to be held later this year.
"Who will contest as a candidate has not yet been decided. I extend Bijoya Dashami greetings to all those whose names you are mentioning,” the BJP Rajya Sabha MP said when reporters asked about a few ex-TMC councillors.
Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar also said the BJP had not held any discussion on seat-sharing with potential allies for the civic polls.
Majumdar said the BJP had contested the West Bengal Assembly elections on its own and got a huge mandate.
"We have not held any discussion so far on seat-sharing with any alliance partner," he said.
Mamata AITC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh took a swipe at the BJP over the speculations that former TMC leaders could be fielded by the saffron party.
He challenged the BJP to name the NCPI leaders as its candidates, arguing that such a move would indicate that the “BJP doesn’t have enough candidates of its own".
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.