BJP Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar declared on 24 October that the party would not ally with NCPI for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections, and set a 26 October 2026 deadline for candidate applications.
The announcement follows a split in the Trinamool Congress last year, when 60 MLAs broke away to form the Nationalist Congress Party (NCPI) and 20 MPs joined it, creating a potential partnership that BJP now rejects.
Majumdar outlined the criteria for ticket allocation: first, winnability; second, the candidate’s status as a BJP worker; third, the inclusion of “good people from outside” to broaden the party’s appeal. He emphasized that seniority and loyalty to the party remain the primary filters, but outsiders may be considered if they can bring fresh perspectives.
BJP’s stance is consistent with its 2024‑25 governance record, in which it won the state with a two‑thirds majority under Suvendu Adhikari. The party insists that it has earned the electorate’s trust through performance, not through opportunistic alliances, and that the municipal elections will be contested on its own strength.
Samik Bhattacharya, head of the West Bengal BJP, warned that doors for NCPI‑backed candidates are closed, reinforcing the party’s commitment to its cadre base. NCPI’s leaders have yet to respond publicly, but the split is expected to dominate local political discourse.
After the Oct. 26 deadline, the BJP will launch a grassroots consultation to finalise the 209 candidates, a process that begins next week and will determine the party’s prospects in the city’s most contested municipal elections.