BJP fanning separate state fire by fielding Ananta Maharaj in RS:

TMC In recent times, he has been demanding a Union Territory status for 8 districts of North Bengal 

Shashikesh Roy And Amitava Banerjee | MP | 13 July 2023 : With Ananta Maharaj aka Nagendranath Roy submitting his candidature as a Rajya Sabha MP from the BJP party on Thursday, Trinamool Congress (TMC) has accused the BJP of fanning the separate state fire. Ananta Maharaj is the chief leader of the Greater Cooch Behar People’s Association demanding a separate Cooch Behar state comprising northern parts of Bengal and lower Assam. 

In recent times, he has been demanding a Union Territory status for 8 districts of North Bengal. Partha Pratim Roy, TMC spokesperson said: “What will the central leadership of BJP say about separate states now? 

One of the proponents of a separate state is now going to be their MP. Will Maharaj go to the Parliament and support the demand for a separate Greater Cooch Behar state now or will he go there and keep his mouth shut? 

BJP also has needs to come out with their party stand on separate states.” BJP has always remained sketchy on separate state issues in Bengal — while they have always assured of looking into demands of Gorkhas, Kamtapuris and Rajbongshis “sympathetically”, nothing much has transpired of the separate state demand on ground zero. 

However, TMC has remained steadfast in its stand against the division of Bengal. BJP Cooch Behar district president Sukumar Roy said: “We support the decision taken by the central leadership. 

It is for the betterment of this region that people like Ananta Maharaj will be there in Rajya Sabha.” However, a section of the state leadership is not happy with this decision as the party would be branded for harbouring a person whose main demand is separation from Bengal. Maharaj has already started towing the BJP line. In an exclusive conversation with the Millennium Post on Thursday, from Delhi, he stated that he is very happy being offered a berth in the Rajya Sabha by the BJP. 

However, when questioned on whether he will raise the demand for a separate state, Maharaj said: “This has alway besen our demand. Time will tell what I will do. I will not say anything about it now.” Maharaj exercises considerable control over the Rajbangshi community. He exercises considerable sway over Koch-Rajbongshi voters in the districts of North Bengal and even lower Assam. 

This could be seen in the elections of 2019 and 2021. In February 2021 even Union Home minister Amit Shah visited Maharaj’s house in Assam. However, in February 2022 Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee invited Maharaj to the birth anniversary celebrations of Bir Kila Rai. Later during Maharaj’s birth anniversary, bouquets had been sent to him by Banerjee. 

TMC Spokesperson Partha Pratim Roy said: “He has always been a BJP man. He will be BJP’s official representative in Rajya Sabha now. Only in the middle, he tried to fool us.” 

With the TMC proposing Prakash Chik Baraik, a tribal leader from the tea belt of Alipurduar as the party’s Rajya Sabha candidate, this is a counter move by the BJP to hold fort, specially at the time when rural poll results have not been good for them and with Lok Sabha elections round the corner, claim political pundits. 58-year-old Nagendra Roy’s ancestral home is in Dinhata Gosanimari area of Cooch Behar district. 

From here the Greater Cooch Behar movement had taken shape under the aegis of the Greater Cooch Behar People’s Association. Ananta Maharaj was then accompanied by Banshi Badan Barman. However, in 2005, Banshi Badan Barman was arrested by the police of the then Left government. 

He was in jail for a long period. The Greater Cooch Behar People’s Association suffered a vertical split. Ananta Maharaj went to live in his house in Assam. Later Roy returned and proclaimed himself as the Maharaja of the Rajbanshis. He then built a palatial house in Kaljani Baragila area of Cooch Behar. 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/bjp-fanning-separate-state-fire-by-fielding-ananta-maharaj-in-rs-tmc-525557