BJP's first list of candidates for KMC polls by March 10

KOLKATA: Taking lesson from the defeat in the recent Bongaon Lok Sabha and Krishnaganj assembly bypoll, the BJP state leadership has decided to announce the party's first list of candidates for the coming KMC polls by March 10.

"This time we want to jump into the poll fray early so that we can have an advantage. We have decided that our first list of candidates for 144 wards of KMC would be announced by March 10," BJP state president Rahul Sinha told PTI today.

According to state BJP sources, one of the reasons identified by BJP for the defeat in the Chowringhee assembly bypoll in September last year and those in Bongaon LS and Krishnaganj assembly recently was that the party announced its candidates much later than other parties.

"It (late announcement) acted as a disadvantage for us. It takes time to facilitate introduction of voters with candidates. We did not have ample time to do that in the by-elections," a senior state BJP leader, who did not want to be named, said.