Aam aadmi without any political background are flocking to the BJP headquarters for a ticket to contest the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) polls. 40% of the over 1,800 applications received by the saffron party were from ordinary citizens. “It is interesting to know that about 40% of the applications we received are from ordinary people. They are neither our workers nor do they have any political background. I think that this has never happened with any political party. My reading is that ordinary citizens want to connect with us,” said Rahul Sinha, state BJP president. 

“Usually, it is the leaders and workers of a political party who aspire to get a ticket. We are screening such applications and suitable persons will be chosen as our candidates,” added Sinha. “The sheer number of applications is overwhelming and they are still coming. We have to be careful while screening them,” said Sinha. “There is a process which we follow in choosing candidates. If Trinamool Congress has started (campaigning), let it do so,” said Ritesh Tiwari, general secretary of the state BJP. 

BJP stated that professionals, businessmen, teachers and others of all ages have applied to be a candidate for the KMC polls. Some applications have also come from retired professionals. A sizeable number of applications also came from the youth.

By Premji