ELECTION

BJP dream in Cooch Behar

COOCH BEHAR, March 24: The Bharatiya Janata Party is gaining its support base in Cooch Behar district. Till recently, this district was known as a Leftist bastion but the BJP started making its presence felt here for the last few years. The changing scenario is helping the party to dream of attaining of a seat in the Lok Sabha election.

The BJP declared Mr Bhabendra Nath Barman as its candidate in Cooch Behar seat. Earlier, Mr Barman fought in 1991 and polled 1.23-lakh votes. Next time he polled about 83,000. In 2004, the party left the seat to their alliance partner, Trinamul Congress. But, this time, as there exists no Trinamul-BJP alliance, the BJP decided to field a candidate again.

In the last three-tier Panchayat election the BJP got 12 Gram Panchayat members including one pradhan from Cooch Behar-I block. They got 16 Gram Panchayat members including two upa-pradhans from Cooch Behar-II block. In Tufanganj-I, they got two Panchayat Samiti members and one GP upa-pradhan. In addition, two BJP supported independent PS candidates won from the area. In Tufanganj-II, there are 8 Panchayat Samiti members, one GP pradhan and two upa-pradhans. In Mathabhanga-II, there are one GP pradhan and two upa-pradhans.

District BJP secretary, also the party's state executive member, Mr Nikhil Ranjan Dey said there were only a few party workers in 1991 but the BJP was able to poll 1.23-lakh votes. Now, as the number of party activists and supporters rose and the organisational strength got a boost, the party can hope of better result.

Explaining his calculation, Mr Dey said the followers of the outgoing Forward Bloc MP Mr Hiten Barman might pose danger for the Left Front candidate as many FB supporters got aggrieved over selection of a new candidate, Mr Nripendra Nath Roy. A large number of Trinamul Congress supporters too got aggrieved following replacing of the earlier candidate Mr Girindra Nath Barman. The new candidate Mr Arghya Roy Pradhan is the son of a Leftist leader who won from here eight times but did nothing to improve the condition of this region. It is also a point to be unhappy with the new candidate. Mr Dey expects that the votes of the dissidents of the two parties may help the BJP candidate to come out with flying colours.

The BJP leader feels that the lower level supporters of the two parties have not greeted the fresh alliance of the Congress and Trinamul Congress. It is an alliance of leaders only.

There is another factor too. A confidential meeting between the leaders of the Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party and the BJP was held recently. Though they are yet to take any decision the BJP expects votes of a large portion of the GCDP supporters in the election.

The neighbouring area in Assam is also a stronghold of the BJP. Earlier, the Assembly seat in Golakganj was of the BJP. This time, a BJP candidate is contesting from the Dhubri Lok Sabha seat as an AGP-BJP alliance candidate. The Assam wind may blow over Cooch Behar, local BJP leaders hoped.

 

Aamra Bangalee

COOCH BEHAR, March 24: Aamra Bangalee declared Mr Dalendra Nath Roy as their candidate in the Cooch Behar Lok Sabha constituency. In the campaign they are to demand arrest of the persons involved in the conspiracy to divide Bengal, exclusion of Darjeeling and Dooars in the proposed Gorkhaland and use of Bengali in all government and non-government official work, said the district AB secretary Mr Haribola Roy.