Silchar | The BJP has intensified preparations for the first Silchar Municipal Corporation election, with 249 aspirants seeking party tickets for 42 wards and the final candidate list expected to be announced by September 8 or 9, Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia said.

Saikia reviewed the party’s organisational and electoral preparedness during a three-day visit to Silchar ahead of the October 3 civic polls. He held meetings with the party’s election management committee, booth-level workers, organisational leaders, social media teams and ticket aspirants.

The BJP’s 19-member election management committee is headed by Cabinet minister Kaushik Rai.Party leaders are expected to hold further discussions in Guwahati on Monday on candidate selection and a possible seat-sharing arrangement with NDA ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).

Saikia said the party had adopted a multi-layered process to assess ticket aspirants, taking into account their public acceptance, organisational record and electoral prospects.

Under the exercise, booth presidents and two designated functionaries at each booth have been asked to rank three preferred candidates. Their recommendations will be submitted in sealed boxes and considered along with internal surveys and feedback from Shakti Kendras, mandals and district and state-level leaders.

“The grassroots workers are best placed to judge an aspirant’s public acceptance, organisational commitment and ability to win,” Saikia said, adding that the process was aimed at ensuring that candidate selection was not determined solely by senior leadership.

With 249 aspirants competing for 42 tickets, the party faces the challenge of managing internal competition and preventing possible rebel candidatures.

Party sources said BJP members who contest as Independents against officially nominated candidates and adversely affect the party’s electoral prospects could face disciplinary action, including suspension for six years. Aspirants willing to withdraw their applications in the organisational interest were given time until Sunday afternoon to do so, party sources said.

The BJP has already mobilised around 1,300 booth-level workers for voter outreach. The party’s campaign is expected to focus on civic issues in Silchar, along with a proposed comprehensive master plan for the city. There is also speculation that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma could campaign in Silchar during the election period.

Saikia said the BJP would not announce a mayoral candidate before the election. The first Mayor of the Silchar Municipal Corporation will be elected indirectly by the councillors after the polls.

The BJP has set a target of winning a two-thirds majority in the 42-member Corporation and is expected to campaign on the theme of “triple-engine” governance, linking the civic body with the BJP-led governments in Assam and at the Centre.

The 42 wards of the Silchar Municipal Corporation are spread across the Silchar, Udharbond, Borkhola and Sonai Assembly constituencies. Polling for the civic body is scheduled for October 3, while counting of votes will take place on October 6.