GREATER DEMAND

GCPA posters welcome to 'Greater Cooch Behar'

 

COOCH BEHAR, May 9: The Greater Cooch Behar People's Association (GCPA) is propagating to boycott the rural polls in their proposed 'Greater Cooch Behar' state territory as it is to them an 'unconstitutional' act. A few days ago about forty GCPA supporters were arrested from the town when they were campaigning in favour of formation of a separate state and asking people to boycott the elections.

 

GCPA sources said they already posted billboards in all the gram panchayat areas in Cooch Behar district and other areas under the proposed 'Greater Cooch Behar' state. By placing large sized hoardings along roadsides they welcomed visitors to the territory of 'Greater Cooch Behar' state. In the posters they painted maps of the proposed C-category state where north Bengal districts and a few districts of Assam were included.

 

A GCPA leader said Cooch Behar should be considered a C-category state of India and the West Bengal government has no right to impose any election upon the people of this region. From the maps depicted on the posters the people may learn of the actual area of this state, he opined.

 

The convenor of Cooch Behar District Left Front Mr Chandi Pal said the GCPA is trying to mislead the common people with such posters and maps. The administration should take steps to stop these things, he demanded.

 

Police sources said they already started removing of anti-election posters and hoardings at different areas in the district.

 

Mentionworthy, the Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party (GCDP), which was formed with a large section of breakaway GCPA supporters, is contesting in many seats in the panchayat elections in Cooch Behar district. GCPA leadership however denied of any relation with the GCDP and termed them as 'opportunists'. []

 

PHOTO : A roadside GCPA billboard at Okrabari in Dinhata welcomes people to the territory of 'Greater Cooch Behar'.