WB ASSEMBLY ELECTION

A candidate extraordinary

Mr Krishna Kanto Barman is the sole candidate of the New Bengal Forum of India. He is the founder of the NBFI and contesting from Cooch Behar Dakshin Assembly segment with 'a pair of candles'.

In 2009 the Party for Democratic Socialism (PDS) fielded him in Cooch Behar Lok Sabha constituency. In Cooch Behar he is known as a colourful man of politics for his spectacular activities.

Mr Barman admitted that there was no atmosphere of politics in his family at Sitai. But he entered politics through the SFI during his college days. As a SFI activist he came closer to the CPI-M but left the party's association due to the practice of corruption by the leaders. Later, he joined the PDS and acted as its secretary of Cooch Behar district unit. He said, "I was a member of the nine-member secretariat of the PDS. But I had to leave the party as it appeared to me that nothing was going on there as it should be."

Why are you contesting this time in the Assembly election? Mr Barman said the proponents of the Greater Cooch Behar state are secessionists. They want formation of a new state but without development the people will get nothing from division of Bengal. "I want an autonomous council for all out development of Cooch Behar. By this council Cooch Behar will get better facilities from the funds to be allocated by the state and Central governments. A large number of unemployed youths go to seek jobs to outer provinces regularly. This should be stopped. We also want restoration of the railway facility by which it was possible to go to Kolkata within seven hours. We also want improvement of health service facilities in Cooch Behar."

Mr Krishna Kanto Barman is confident about coming out with a good result. "Please wait till the release of election result and see what the NBFI did", he said confidently.

Mentionworthy, Mr Barman is an impresario. He owns a farm named North Bengal Film Institute. He also engaged in a business of event management. He selected Cooch Behar Dakshin segment for contest, as he is detached from his home place Sitai for the last five years and resides in Cooch Behar town, he explained. "I shall get more votes from the town than from Sitai", he hoped.