No party can claim Oppn status in KMC, at least 15 opposition candidates needed as mandated

Kolkata: With only 10 seats being bagged by the Opposition and Independent candidates, Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim on Tuesday pointed out that no party will be able to claim the opposition status in the present Kolkata Municipal Corporation Board.

As mandated by the Civic convention there needs to be 15 opposition candidates.

The Trinamool Congress won the KMC polls with a landside victory on December 21. Trinamool Congress got 134 out of 144 seats. While BJP got 3 seats, Congress and the Left Front got two seats each.

"Three candidates are Independent candidates. They have secured more seats than the opposition parties – Left Front, Congress and BJP. Whom should we consider opposition? The Left Front, Congress and BJP candidates individually. Or Independent candidates along with Left Front, Congress and BJP candidates," said Hakim.

When asked about the absence of BJP candidates – Meena Devi Purohit (ward number 22), Vijay Ojha (ward number 23) and Sajal Ghosh (ward number 50) — during the oath taking ceremony of Kolkata Mayor, Hakim said: "What to say. They (BJP candidates are disappearing from the party also."