India, Dec. 30 -- Criticism from all sides during the first round of local body polls has prompted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to send a strong signal to its own ranks, making it clear that relatives of sitting MLAs, MPs and ministers will not be given party tickets for the civic polls.

According to party sources, senior BJP leaders have instructed the Pune unit to remove from the final list of candidates the names of children and close relatives of legislators and office-bearers. The directive, conveyed late Saturday night, is being seen as a setback for several senior leaders who had been lobbying hard for nominations for their family members.

For the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections, the BJP invited applications for al...