Political News: Learning lessons: Bengal BJP announces candidates with emphasis on women, youth and grassroot level

Learning lessons from the assembly poll debacle early this year, Bengal BJP announced candidates with emphasis on women, youth and grassroot-level BJP workers. Out of the 144 candidates for KMC polls, 50 women candidates have been fielded while more than 45 are young faces by the BJP.

Trinamool Congress has also fielded 64 women, which is around 45 per cent of the total candidates.

“We have given tickets to grassroot workers of the party in this poll. Special emphasis has been given on women candidates, youth and grassroot level workers of BJP. The people, who have connections with people, are on the list as candidates,” BJP KMC Election in-charge Pratap Banerjee said on Monday. The BJP on Monday released its list of candidates for elections to the 144-ward Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), to be held on December 19.

“Out of the total 144 candidates, whose names have been announced, 48 are young faces and 45 women. The emphasis has been given on women candidates. There are lawyers, school teachers, professors, doctors apart from an ex-colonel and five advocates on the list,” Banerjee, Vice-President of the party, said. The standing councillors, including veteran candidate Meena Devi Purohit, have been given tickets.

No celebrity or turncoat leaders have been given candidature in these civic body polls. There is a lot of analysis inside the party ahead of the polls and the party.

“Though we had demanded vote for all the civic bodies, including Kolkata and Howrah and we had moved the court with such demands. People of other civic bodies had not been able to vote for the last couple of years, despite the term expiry of the boards. However, following Calcutta High Court order, we are ready to fight the Kolkata Municipal polls. The BJP had decided on 75 per cent of the names two-and-half months back. We have given tickets to grassroot workers of BJP, who have connected with people.,” Shamik Bhattacharya, chief spokesperson of BJP, said.

Earlier, the ruling AITC, the Left Front and the Congress have announced the names of candidates for KMC elections.