BJP begins candidate selection for all 209 Kolkata municipal wards

The Bharatiya Janata Party has begun selecting candidates for all 209 Kolkata Municipal Corporation wards ahead of municipal elections scheduled for November 2026.

Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar announced the plans at a press conference on October 11. The party will accept applicants' resumes through drop boxes at its office at 6 Muralidhar Sen Lane in central Kolkata.

Majumdar said candidates would be selected through an internal process, with their prospects of winning, public image and local acceptability among the criteria. He encouraged young people and professionals to seek nominations.

The announcement starts a selection process rather than naming a final candidate list. It also sets out the party's intention to contest every ward, not an election result.

West Bengal's assembly passed legislation on August 12 to increase Kolkata's wards from 144 to 209. The accompanying changes raise Howrah's ward count from 50 to 68. The Hindu and Free Press Journal reported Majumdar's announcement.