New Delhi, Oct. 24 -- The BJP has set October 26 as the deadline for prospective candidates to submit applications through its drop-box initiative for the upcoming Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) elections, seeking to expand its candidate pool beyond the party's organisational ranks.

Union minister and former state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said professionals, young people and prominent citizens with clean public images could apply for tickets. A drop box has been placed at the party's former state headquarters at 6, Muralidhar Sen Lane in central Kolkata. Aspirants, including doctors, engineers, lawyers and social workers, have been asked to submit their biodata, clearly explaining why they should be considered for a BJP ticket.

Majumdar said the party would field candidates in all 209 wards following delimitation, which increased the number of wards from 144. He ruled out an alliance with the NCPI and claimed that the BJP would win the KMC elections and secure the mayor's post, predicting that it would win more than 150 of the 209 seats.

Candidate selection will depend on electoral winnability, public image, acceptability among local residents and administrative ability. The party has also emphasised transparent civic administration and said promoters and developers should not control municipal bodies. The initiative is intended to bring fresh faces and professional expertise into local politics ahead of the civic polls, likely to be held in late November.

Majumdar also said former CM Mamata Banerjee should win from her own ward to retain her political identity. BJP minister Tapas Roy similarly challenged Banerjee to protect her polling booth and secure votes there, adding that the party could field family members of Trinamool leaders as candidates. Meanwhile, former Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim announced that he would not contest the civic polls, citing his age and concerns about his ability to serve effectively.

MAITC leader Kunal Ghosh taunted the BJP, claiming it would struggle to find candidates exclusively from its own ranks and would have to rely on former Trinamool leaders. BJP leaders dismissed the criticism.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.