Party’s state president K Annamalai had also begun the poll works and had completed the first phase of strategy meeting with party workers. The party has formed zonal wise legal teams to help the BJP workers who will be contesting the civic polls.

According to Kamalalayam, BJP headquarters sources, the applications are being sold at the party offices across the state instructing the party workers to gear up for the polls. “Whether the BJP is going to go alone or it will contest with the AIADMK is yet to be decided and the state president will take a call in coordination with the alliance leaders,” said a senior BJP functionary.

The national party has strong presence in areas like Nagercoil, Mettupalayam, Coimbatore South, Egmore, Harbour, Chengalpattu and Tirunelveli and we are confident of winning seats in these areas, the functionary added.

The saffron party has appointed former deputy mayor Karate Thiagarajan as Chennai poll in charge and he will focus on the districts located in north Tamil Nadu.

When contacted, Karate Thiagarajan said that the party is keen on opening account in the local bodies in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu and Tiruvallur region. The BJP had planned to petition the State Election Commission to keep more CCTV cameras. To ensure free and fair polls our party workers will buy cameras and install button and pen cameras to monitor the poll violations and the nexus of the ruling party men. Local body polls had always been marred by violence and there is precedence to this in 2006 Chennai Corporation polls, Thiagarajan said.

“We will monitor activities of the DMK functionaries to ensure that there is no violation or violence and deal with police action besides lodging complaints with senior authorities, like the Home Ministry, Governor office and the Madras High Court. We have also formed zonal wise legal teams to help the BJP workers who will be contesting the civic polls,” the BJP leader added.