The All India Trinamool Congress and the Left Front in West Bengal on Friday made announcements concerning their candidates for the Kolkata municipal polls.
The state election commission has already notified December 19 as the date of the election. Over 40 lakh voters will have an opportunity to elect councillors to the 144 wards that constitute Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
While making a formal announcement before releasing the names, senior Trinamool leader Partha Chatterjee highlighted that candidates who made it to the list include women and ones from minorities.
Sudip Bandopadhyay Trinamool MP and the senior leader said 45% of candidates who will contest are women. Out of the 23 minority candidates, two are Christians, and there are 19 candidates from scheduled castes. The Trinamool is also opening up to newer faces. Out of the 126 councillors it had in the last tenure, 39 have been replaced.
Meanwhile, the Left Front has also announced its list and has left around 17 seats out of the total 144, for other parties to contest, namely Congress Party and Indian Secular Front - both parties that were in alliance with the Left during assembly elections. Of the 127 seats the Left is contesting, 114 names were declared on Friday.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation vote will have 1,707 polling premises, with voting scheduled from 7 am to 5 pm. The counting is to take place on 21 December.
Meanwhile, a petition filed by a state BJP leader concerning civic elections is scheduled for being heard in Calcutta High Court next week. The state government had suggested that elections be held for Kolkata and adjoining Howrah city first, and then later for other municipal areas in phases. The state election commission has already notified the election for Kolkata. The BJP wants elections to be held simultaneously to all civic bodies in one phase.
The elections to Kolkata are significant for all political parties. While the assembly results were disappointing for the Left and the Congress, the current elections offer another opportunity to the parties. It’s also an opportunity for the BJP to strengthen its presence in city administration.
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