BJP to go all out for WB civic body polls...

KOLKATA: Unfulfilled promises, corruption and lack of law and order in the state would be on the BJP’s agenda for the civic bodies polls, likely to be held in a few months, in West Bengal.

“We’ll contest in all the civic body elections,” BJP West Bengal president Rahul Sinha told HT, adding that the state BJP would take a two-pronged strategy to defeat the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Elections of almost a hundred civic bodies, including Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), are due in the next eight months. While elections of 17 civic bodies are due since last year and expected to be held by January, tenures of 81 other civic bodies, including KMC, would be over by May next year.

According to the plan chalked out by BJP, local units would jot down issues for every civic body, while the BJP would centrally campaign, seeking an end to the ‘rule of lawlessness’ in West Bengal.

“Unfulfilled electoral promises and corruption are among our key issues,” Sinha said on Friday.

ELECTIONS OF ALMOST A HUNDRED CIVIC BODIES IN THE STATE, INCLUDING THE KOLKATA MUNICIPAL CORPORATION, ARE DUE IN THE NEXT EIGHT MONTHS

“Local units would make lists of what promises the previous civic boards had made and how much of it have been fulfilled. Besides, all issues related to corruption would be addressed,” he added.

The state BJP’s primary target is to leave a mark in the elections of the 17 civic bodies. Presently, BJP does not run any civic body in West Bengal. They have only three councillors in the 141-member KMC. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, BJP had a lead in 26 KMC wards.

Meanwhile, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has asked the state leadership to send the message that party will not accept anyone who wants to join them. Rather, they must have a clean image and not be involved in criminal activities.