Sukanta Majumdar
Kolkata: Allaying intra-party apprehensions that Trinamool defectors might muscle in to secure nominations, BJP on Saturday made it clear that pre-poll party functionaries will receive “special attention” for Kolkata and Howrah municipal corporation elections. The party said candidate selection will take place only after consultations with party seniors, from mandal to state level. BJP’s Bengal unit also stressed that it would contest every civic body seat in Kolkata and Howrah on its own “lotus” symbol — indicating an unwillingness to share seats with potential allies. Majumdar said: “Internally, we are taking feedback. I think I have been clear enough,” he said.
Party MP Rahul Sinha went a step further, clarifying that NDA is a national alliance with no bearing on local politics. Reinforcing this stance, BJP reposted state president Samik Bhattacharya’s cryptic Friday statement on its X and Facebook pages: “People in Bengal voted for BJP, not for Trinamool to change colours. This is an organisational process, we cannot elaborate. The objective is to identify candidates with a clean image. BJP functionaries who were with us before Bengal assembly polls will receive special attention. Internal consultations will involve the ward, mandal and state levels. All inputs will be considered and MLAs and MPs will also participate. Sinha, however, was far more direct regarding alliances. “The NDA alliance is for Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, and we respect that. But this alliance does not extend to the state level, and even less so to civic polls.
Following day-long deliberations with state netas on Friday, BJP’s civic poll in-charges — junior Union minister Sukanta Majumdar for Kolkata and Sinha for Howrah — addressed back-to-back media briefings on Saturday.