BJP planning hard to win maximum seats in Puducherry civic polls

Puducherry: The BJP in Puducherry which has not won a single seat in the municipal council elections when it was last held in 2006, is planning meticulously for a good show this time.

The Puducherry Election commission is to issue a new notification for the municipal elections after its plea to withdraw the already issued notification was allowed by the Madras High Court on Tuesday. The BJP which had a weak organisational structure earlier, now has developed a base after the 2021 assembly polls in which the party won six seats.

The party has also nominated three leaders as legislators and has a Rajya Sabha MP in party leader Selvaganabathy. Party state president Swaminathan, national secretary in charge of the Union Territory, Nirmal Kumar Surana, and state Home Minister and party leader, A. Namasivayam are now working on the strategy for a good show in the municipal elections.

While BJP is trying hard to get a footprint in the municipal elections which would give it much-needed leverage at the grassroots level, the lack of known public faces is a major concern for the party in the union territory. There is no leader who has a mass appeal and no credible face who can swing the votes.

A senior BJP leader told IANS, "The party will have to project some good leaders to support us and for this, either we may have to increase the efficiency level of our existing leaders or have to rope in established leaders of other parties. Trying leaders from our ally parties is also an option."

While BJP may not have a public figure or a known face to pull an election victory, it is chalking out an efficient election strategy with full-timers being deputed across the union territory to win the municipal elections. The idea of the BJP is to stamp its popularity among the masses and thereby be in power in the UT independently.

The BJP currently is in alliance with All India NR Congress to share power in Puducherry with AINRC leader, N. Rangasamy leading the coalition government as Chief Minister. Mohammed Riyas of Mahe Institute of Development Studies, a think tank in Puducherry, told IANS, "The attitude of the people towards the BJP has changed for the better. However, it cannot rest on its laurels and have to work hard among the people to pull off some exciting victories in the municipal elections." (IANS)