KMC Elections: West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya has rejected claims that former Trinamool Congress (TMC) councillors may get BJP tickets in the upcoming Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) elections. He said the party hasn’t decided on its candidates yet.
The statement comes as political parties are preparing for the civic elections in Kolkata and Howrah. The polls are expected to take place later this year, but the State Election Commission hasn’t announced the final dates yet.
Samik Bhattacharya Says BJP Candidates Aren’t Finalised
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Bhattacharya said the BJP hadn’t made its final choice of candidates. He was asked about reports that some former TMC councillors could contest the civic polls on BJP tickets.
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“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.
The party has been preparing for the upcoming elections, with Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar given responsibility for the KMC poll campaign. The BJP has also said it plans to contest the proposed 209 wards of the Kolkata civic body on its own.
Sukanta Majumdar Rules Out Seat-Sharing Talks
Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar also said the BJP hadn’t started talks with possible alliance partners about sharing seats in the civic elections.
He pointed out that the party had contested the West Bengal Assembly elections independently and secured a strong mandate.
“We have not held any discussion so far on seat-sharing with any alliance partner,” he said.
The BJP has maintained that it can contest the Kolkata and Howrah municipal elections without joining hands with other parties. This position also comes amid discussions about the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), which includes former TMC MPs.
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Kunal Ghosh Takes a Dig at BJP
Mamata All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) spokesperson Kunal Ghosh criticised the BJP over reports that former TMC leaders might receive tickets from the saffron party.
He challenged the BJP to field NCPI leaders in the civic elections. He argued that doing so would suggest that the “BJP doesn’t have enough candidates of its own”.
The NCPI became a new player in West Bengal politics after 20 TMC MPs left the party following Mamata Banerjee’s defeat in the 2026 Assembly elections. The former MPs joined the NCPI and extended their support to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre. Their move has also led to disputes over their parliamentary status
