Rajbangshi outfits spoil TMC hope

TT, Cooch Behar: Two organisations with considerable clout among the Rajbangshi population hinted on Monday that they would field candidates in some seats in the upcoming panchayat polls in north Bengal.

The move has come as a fresh poser for Trinamul, as most of the leaders had thought the Greater Cooch Behar Peoples' Association (GCPA) and the Kamtapur Progressive Party (KPP) would abstain from a contest in the rural polls.

Last year, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had made a major move by inducting Bangshibadan Burman, the general secretary of the GCPA and Atul Roy, the president of the KPP, into a board formed by the state for the Rajbangshis and two academies formed for study, conservation and promotion of Rajbangshi and Kamtapuri languages.

While Burman was made the vice-chairman of Rajbangshi Bhasa Academy and West Bengal Rajbanshi Development and Cultural Board, Roy was made the vice-chairman of Kamtapuri Bhasa Academy.

Burman, when asked whether they would abstain from the polls, said: "No decision has been taken till now. We will hold a meeting of the central committee on Tuesday to decide whether we will contest the elections."

The KPP leaders, on the other hand, held a meeting at a location in Mainaguri block of Jalpaiguri on Monday.

"Our meeting is still in progress. But we have made a preliminary decision that we will field candidates in places where we have support base," said Pranesh Ishore, a central committee member of the party.

Political observers pointed out that Mamata had included Burman and Roy in the board and the academies to thwart the BJP from building bases in the Rajbangshi-dominated areas.

"It was a planned move and there were hopes in Trinamul that inclusion of top leaders of these organisations will deter them from contesting in the polls. But these parties are not singing in consonance now, which is indeed a fresh problem for the ruling party ahead of the election," said an observer.

GCPA sources said a section of leaders wanted the organisation to contest the elections as "Burman holds an official post and has not joined Trinamul".

KPP insiders, while speaking on the issue, said they had supported Trinamul in some earlier elections.

"But we have been contesting panchayat elections on a regular basis. That is why we want that there should be adjustments of seats with Trinamul but there must be some KPP candidates in the fray," they said.

Such remarks by the leaders have left Trinamul leaders irritated, particularly in Cooch Behar.

"The state has met most of the demands of these organisations. Yet, they plan to contest the elections. This is disappointing," said Jalil Ahmed, the vice-president of the Cooch Behar district Trinamul.

Another leader of the party said they were concerned because the BJP had emerged as their principal political contender and has built bases in some pockets of the district.

"The contest will be between Trinamul and the BJP. Now if a GCPA or a KPP candidate is there in the seat, particularly in the two lower tiers, it would lead to division of anti-BJP votes. This is why we are concerned," he said.