The BJP will contest the Kolkata and Howrah municipal elections on its own, party leader Rahul Sinha said on Saturday, ruling out an alliance at the civic level, news agency Press Trust of India reported. However, Union minister Sukanta Majumdar kept open the possibility of an understanding with the NCPI.Sinha said the BJP had electoral arrangements with other NDA partners at the parliamentary level but no such alliance for municipal elections.

His remarks came amid demands from NCPI leaders for a tie-up in the civic polls.“Look, there are several parties in the NDA, and we have alliances with them at the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha levels, that is, at the parliamentary level. But there is no alliance below that level, and there is no electoral alliance at the municipal level,” Sinha told a press conference.Asked earlier in the day about a possible tie-up with the NCPI, Majumdar said the BJP would contest all 209 seats in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections but did not rule out an understanding with the outfit. “Nothing is impossible, but so far there is no news of any alliance,” he said.

The NCPI, a little-known political outfit, emerged as a player in West Bengal politics after 20 TMC MPs crossed over following Mamata Banerjee's defeat in the state Assembly elections. The breakaway MPs later extended support to the BJP-led NDA at the Centre.According to PTI, Sinha claimed that the BJP faced no strong opposition in the two civic elections.

He compared the situation to a football match in which one team had 11 players while the other had only a goalkeeper. He said the BJP had begun preparations and received applications from a large number of party workers seeking tickets.

Candidates with a strong chance of winning and a clean public image would be given priority, while those with criminal backgrounds or a poor reputation in their localities would not be considered, he added.Sinha alleged that the previous Trinamool Congress government had neglected Howrah for years, leaving its roads in poor condition and its drainage and sewerage systems inadequate. He also claimed that Kolkata had not realised its full potential in civic development despite assistance from the Centre.He further alleged that the TMC had changed the administrative arrangement for Bally after realising that its inclusion in the Howrah Municipal Corporation could hurt the party's electoral prospects.Sinha said the BJP was preparing for elections in both cities and expected the polls to be announced in early November.

He said the party wanted peaceful elections, without the violence and intimidation that he alleged had marked previous civic polls in the state.The BJP had instructed its workers to maintain peace, and disciplinary action would be taken against anyone attempting to create disturbances, Sinha said.Appealing to residents of Kolkata and Howrah to support the BJP, he promised to improve civic amenities and modernise urban infrastructure. He said the party aimed to make Kolkata one of India's leading metropolitan cities and transform Howrah into a more developed and liveable urban centre.Majumdar said those seeking BJP tickets for the Kolkata and Howrah civic elections could submit their applications by 5 pm on October 26.

The applications could be placed in a drop box at the party office on Muralidhar Sen Lane in north Kolkata, PTI reported.He said a candidate's public image would be given priority during the selection process. The party was also inviting applications from prominent personalities to ensure diverse representation.Majumdar, who is responsible for overseeing the BJP's Kolkata Municipal Corporation election campaign, said the party would release its list of candidates within three days of the announcement of the polls.

He had earlier urged prominent personalities to participate in West Bengal's development.In summary, the BJP is preparing to contest the Kolkata and Howrah civic elections independently, while leaving open the possibility of an understanding with the NCPI. The party has begun accepting applications and said candidates would be selected on the basis of their public image and ability to win.- EndsWith PTI inputs