Bengal: BJP leaders ready to fight local body polls in presence of central forces

The BJP leadership in Bengal, which has been demanding Municipal polls in various districts and Kolkata for long, even before the assembly polls, said they are ready to fight the local body polls which are likely to be announced in December. However, the party demanded the presence of central forces during local body polls.
“The saffron party is ready to fight the Municipal polls, which is long overdue, BJP state President Dr Sukanta Majumdar said on Wednesday.

He expressed fear that Trinamool Congress intends to create an atmosphere of violence after the four by-polls and then likely to announce Municipal polls in December.

“The state government showed no intention of conducting the Municipal polls till date. They may have had different intentions of spreading violence after the assembly polls. Trinamool sponsored violence has intimidated people from May 2 onwards. Now, we learn from our sources that the local body polls will be announced in December,” Majumdar said.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier said that after the by-polls in Bengal, conduct of local body elections will be considered.

Talking about the party’s performance in the coming local body polls, Majumdar said, “We have not won any local body polls earlier, except Habra. But now we feel, BJP will win a substantial number of local bodies, following its performance in the assembly polls.”

Expressing confidence about winning seats in the by-polls, “West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said the saffron party will win no seats in Lok Sabha. But that did not happen in reality. Now let us wait for the results of the four by-poll seats which will go to polls on October 30,” Majumdar commented.

It is pertinent to mention that West Bengal’s State Election Commission is likely to seek the state government’s permission to conduct pending elections for urban civic bodies in December, sources said. The local body election of 112 urban civic bodies including two Municipal Corporations of Kolkata and Howrah, are due in Bengal. A notification might be issued after the 30 October assembly by-polls.