Kolkatta:  The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)  on Monday revealed its list of candidates for the 144-ward Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) elections, which will be held in December 19.

BJP vice-president Pratap Bandyopadhyay said at a press conference that the party intended to field both old-timers and newcomers, after considering their track record and support base. "We have 50 ladies and 48 young individuals on the team." Apart from an ex-colonel and five activists, the list includes school instructors, professors, and doctors. "The party recruited people with a good reputation and a track record," Bandyopadhyay added.

"The BJP is ready to fight the civic polls," said party spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya, who was also present at the meeting. We had already decided on 75% of the names two and a half months ago." Bhattacharya said the saffron party would wait for the judiciary to rule on the suit the saffron party filed in the Calcutta High Court seeking elections to all municipal bodies in the state in a single phase.

"Whatever the judiciary decides, we will follow." People in other municipalities had also been unable to vote for the past few years, despite the boards' terms expiring," he noted. Bhattacharya went on to say that, unlike some other parties, the BJP does not believe in "family-driven politics," and that the selection process was transparent and fair.

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