Suvendu Adhikari Urges Voters to Elect BJP in Kolkata, Howrah Civic Polls for ‘Triple-Engine’ Government

PTI, Oct 12, 2026, Kolkata : Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday urged voters to elect the BJP in the upcoming Kolkata and Howrah municipal corporation elections to ensure a "triple-engine" government, claiming that the party's victories in the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly by-polls reflected growing support for its development agenda.

Addressing a victory rally here, Adhikari said people across communities had come together in support of the BJP's initiatives for the state's development.

"I urge you to give a 'triple-engine' administration," he said, appealing to voters to back the BJP in the two civic polls.

The elected board of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation was dissolved after Mayor Firhad Hakim resigned within a month of the BJP coming to power in the state in May. Elections to the Howrah Municipal Corporation, meanwhile, have been due since 2018.

The BJP defeated its rivals by a record margin in Nandigram and secured a surprise victory in Muslim-majority Rejinagar, consolidating its position barely five months after ending the TMC's 15-year rule in the state.

Referring to the voting pattern in the 2026 Assembly elections, Adhikari said a perception had been created that a BJP victory would prevent minorities from practising their religion and lead to their deportation to Bangladesh.

"They have seen that despite their not voting for the BJP, the victory march of the Narendra Modi-led party could not be stopped," he said.

The Chief Minister claimed that people had now come together for the state's development.