Bengal civic polls: Grassroots gap fuels BJP outreach; Congress bets on workers

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is looking beyond its ranks for professionals and prominent citizens to contest the impending municipal elections, while Congress is inviting applications for its nominees. Both parties are adopting different strategies to find credible contenders with a local foothold.

The BJP, which came to power in the state earlier this year, is seeking to translate its electoral victory into a stronger ward-level organisation.

On the other hand, the Congress, weakened by years of political marginalisation, is trying to rebuild its local network and identify candidates capable of restoring its presence in neighbourhoods where it has lost ground.

BJP drop box for applications

The BJP has installed a drop box at its old state headquarters on Muralidhar Sen Lane in Kolkata, inviting applications from doctors, engineers, lawyers, social workers and other prominent citizens, including those without a party background.

Also read: Bengal bypoll results: BJP wins Nandigram, Rejinagar; Congress sees hope

Union minister Sukanta Majumdar, the BJP in-charge for the municipal elections, urged professionals to enter politics rather than remain spectators.

He has said the party wants accomplished people from different sections of society to contest the elections, describing their entry as bringing in “new genes”.

Lack of credible local leaders

The initiative reflects the BJP’s attempt to widen its candidate pool beyond established party networks as it still lacks enough credible local leaders to strengthen its grassroots presence.

“Professional credentials and public standing could help the party attract voters who do not identify closely with party politics, while candidates with local reputations could strengthen its presence in individual wards,” explained a BJP leader who spoke on condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to media.

Majumdar, however, sought to play down concerns about the party’s organisational strength, saying it had enough eligible workers to contest all 209 Kolkata Municipal Corporation seats but wanted to offer outsiders an opportunity.

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He identified candidates’ ability, public image, acceptability in their wards and administrative skills as factors in selection.

BJP’s grassroots gaps

The emphasis on outsiders, however, cannot gloss over the BJP’s organisational gaps at the grassroots, which are increasingly being filled by former TMC leaders and workers, derisively referred to by some party old-timers, including state president Samik Bhattacharya, as “Naba BJP” (new BJP).

Bhattacharya publicly criticised those who have “suddenly taken the BJP flag and applied saffron colour”, blaming these new entrants for problems such as factional feuds and the syndicate culture that have already afflicted the party’s grassroots organisation.

His criticism, however, did not translate into concrete action to stem the influx, prompting critics to describe the phenomenon as the “Trinamoolisation” of the BJP.

The Rajya Sabha embarrassment

This organisation reality, many political observers believe, has prompted the BJP to look beyond its own ranks for candidates.

“The BJP does not appear to have enough winnable candidates within its own ranks and may have to depend on former TMC leaders at the local level to fill its nominations, risking opposition from long-time party workers. To avoid this, the party is looking for credible, apolitical faces in different wards,” said political observer Debasis Chakrabarti.

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“This would serve the twin purpose of finding winnable candidates while avoiding the pitfalls of nominating turncoats,” he added, pointing to the criticism and embarrassment the party faced over its decision to nominate former TMC leaders to the Rajya Sabha.

The challenge for the BJP is to win the municipal elections without becoming “Trinamoolised”, as its critics put it.

Eye on “triple-engine” administration

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari already billed the municipal elections as the BJP’s next test of strength in Bengal.

He urged voters in Kolkata and Howrah to turn the existing “double-engine” government at the Centre and the state into a “triple-engine” administration by electing the BJP to both civic bodies.

“Responding to Modiji’s appeal, you have given him a double-engine government. Now, at the request of your chief minister, you have to give us a triple-engine government,” Adhikari appealed on Monday.

Congress invites applications from workers

The Congress, meanwhile, is taking a different route to address its organisational concern.

The state unit has invited applications from party workers and local leaders seeking tickets in the forthcoming civic elections, including those in Kolkata and Howrah. Applications can be submitted at its state headquarters, Bidhan Bhavan, or by email.

Also read: VB-G RAM G sputtering in Bengal despite BJP's double-engine sarkar

State Congress president Subhankar Sarkar said the leadership will vet the applications before preparing the final list of candidates.

The party termed the initiative as an effort to make candidate selection more democratic and give local workers an opportunity to compete for tickets.

Bypoll hope for Congress

Unlike the BJP, which is looking beyond its own ranks for candidates, the Congress must identify where it retains active workers and whether they can translate their local presence into votes as it seeks to build on its relatively improved showing in the recent Nandigram and Rejinagar by-elections.

The application process could help the leadership assess its remaining ward-level strength, identify candidates with established local connections and encourage younger workers to participate.

But opening the selection process does not necessarily mean that decision-making is shifting away from the state leadership, which retains the final say over nominations.

The by-election results, which placed Congress ahead of the Left Front and both TMC factions, offer the party an opportunity to assert its renewed relevance and stake a claim to be the state’s principal opposition to the BJP.