BJP's central leadership seeks report from state unit after party's civic poll debacle

Kolkata: The Central BJP leadership has sought a report from the state unit on party's poor performance in the four civic polls whose results had been announced recently.

Out of 226 seats spreading over four municipal corporations, namely, Siliguri, Bidhannagar, Asansol and Chandannagar BJP bagged only 12 seats.

The saffron party has failed to open its account in both Bidhannagar and Chandannagar municipalities.

The central leadership has asked the state leaders to submit bio-data of the candidates and what had been the parameters in selecting them.

Out of 41 wards in Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation, BJP candidates stood third in 27 wards and fourth in two wards. Similarly, in Siliguri Municipal Corporation, party nominees stood third in 19 out of 47 wards and fourth in two wards.

In Chanddannagar, out of 31 wards, party candidates stood third in 29 wards and fourth in two wards.

In Asansol which BJP had claimed to be its stronghold, party candidates stood third in 38 wards out of a total of 106 wards and fourth in two wards.

A senior party leader said the central leadership had refused to buy the argument of the state leaders that because of rampant violence, party candidates could not win the election. The state leaders refused to make any comment.

Jay Prakash Majumdar and Ritesh Tiwari who have been removed from the party temporarily held few state leaders responcible for the poll debacle.

Meanwhile, local people staged a demonstration before Hiran Chatterjee, BJP MLA from Kharagpur. Chatterjee is contesting in the civic poll. They alleged that Chatterjee had failed to keep the assurances he had made before the Assembly election and now he has come once again with a basket of false promises.