Silchar: BJP has stepped up preparations for the maiden Silchar Municipal Corporation (SMC) election, forming committees and beginning work on ward-level panels.Rajya Sabha MP Kanad Purkayastha will head the party’s manifesto committee, which will prepare a roadmap for the 42-member SMC. The manifesto is likely to focus on drainage, roads, traffic congestion, drinking water, waste management and urban infrastructure.The BJP has also constituted a 19-member election management committee headed by cabinet minister Kaushik Rai. Silchar MLA Rajdeep Roy is the committee’s member-secretary.It has begun forming ward committees ahead of the polls.The preparations follow the publication of final electoral rolls for all 42 SMC wards on July 15. The election is expected to take place in Oct.Silchar has been without an elected civic body since 2019. Its municipal board was later upgraded to a municipal corporation, with the Assam govt formally notifying and constituting the SMC on Nov 28, 2024.The ticket race has gained momentum within BJP, with several aspirants lobbying for nominations. Party sources said candidate selection would likely be based on organisational involvement, grassroots presence, public acceptability, electoral prospects and educational qualifications.Congress and AIUDF have also begun assessing their options. Prospective candidates are reaching out to voters and leaders as parties assess caste, community and political equations across the newly demarcated wards.For BJP, which has a strong presence in Silchar and the Barak Valley, the maiden SMC election will test its urban support base.
