All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saugata Roy on Friday, 28 August publicly questioned whether the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would accept NCPI members as part of its electoral panel for the upcoming Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) elections, while separately expressing grave concern over the devastating floods in Nepal, which he described as a 'very major tragedy'.

The KMC Alliance Question

Roy's remarks came in direct response to a claim by NCPI MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay, who had stated on Wednesday that the NCPI would contest the KMC elections as a constituent of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). 'We will contest the elections as an NDA party and have spoken to senior BJP leaders, who confirmed it,' Bandyopadhyay told reporters.

Roy was measured but pointed in his response. 'That is their decision. Whether the BJP will accept these NCPI people as part of their panel remains to be seen,' he said. He cited a prior statement by BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar, who had indicated the party would go it alone. 'I have seen a statement by Sukanta Majumdar in which he said that the BJP will fight the upcoming elections alone. So, let's see what happens,' Roy added.

BJP's Contradictory Signals

The BJP's own messaging has been notably inconsistent. Majumdar had earlier maintained that the party had no ally in West Bengal and had contested the Assembly elections independently. 'Our state president has already said that the BJP has no ally in the state. We did not contest the Assembly elections with any partner in Bengal. We fought on our own and won so many seats. Therefore, there has been no discussion on contesting the KMC elections with any ally. No such proposal has come to me either,' he said at a news conference at his New Town residence.

However, after Bandyopadhyay's remarks surfaced, Majumdar appeared to step back, saying he had no information on the matter and that only BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya or Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari could speak authoritatively on the issue. This reversal has only deepened the ambiguity around the NDA's KMC strategy.

Nepal Floods: Over 300 from Bengal Unaccounted For

Separately, Roy raised the alarm over the flood crisis in Nepal, calling it a 'very tragic and difficult disaster'. He noted that the full death toll remained unclear and that a significant number of Indian citizens — particularly from West Bengal — were stranded in the country with their families unable to reach them.

'More than 300 people from Bengal are reportedly unaccounted for there. So, this is a very major tragedy,' Roy said. He underscored that the situation warranted urgent attention from both the state and Central governments given the scale of the humanitarian crisis.

What to Watch

The BJP's formal position on a KMC alliance with the NCPI is expected to become clearer as the election schedule firms up. On the Nepal front, the Indian government's response to the welfare of stranded citizens — particularly those from West Bengal — will be closely tracked in the days ahead.