BJP woos north Bengal with Rajbanshi-Kurmali pitch, AIIMS-IIT promise.

PTI, Kolkata,  Apr 10, 2026  : Seeking to consolidate its hold over north Bengal, a region that has often proved to be the BJP's strongest bastion in the state, the party on Friday packed its election manifesto with a string of promises aimed at addressing the region's long-standing sense of neglect, ethnic aspirations and economic anxieties.

From pledging constitutional recognition for Rajbanshi and Kurmali languages to promising an AIIMS, an IIT, an IIM and even a sports university in north Bengal, the BJP sought to craft a distinct regional pitch for the eight-district belt, which accounts for 54 assembly seats and could once again emerge as the decisive battlefield of the 2026 polls.

Elections to the 294-member West Bengal assembly will be held in two phases — on April 23 and April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.

Releasing the party's 'Sankalp Patra' in Kolkata, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said north Bengal had “remained ignored” for decades despite its strategic and economic importance.

"North Bengal has been deprived for years. A BJP government will ensure its holistic development," Shah asserted.

In what could resonate strongly among the Rajbanshi-Kamatapuri population spread across Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, North Dinajpur and parts of Malda, the BJP promised to include Rajbanshi and Kurmali in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.

"We will make efforts to include the Kurmali and Rajbanshi languages in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution, and the Bengal government will work with the Centre for this," Shah said.

The move is significant because demands for official recognition of Rajbanshi and Kamtapuri identity have long remained intertwined with regional assertion and, at times, separate statehood movements in north Bengal.

Descendants of the Koch dynasty, the Rajbanshis are the largest Scheduled Caste group in north Bengal, primarily spread across Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Darjeeling districts. They have historically faced economic hardship due to their dependence on agriculture, often as sharecroppers.

Their political significance stems from the long-standing demand for recognition of the Kamtapuri-Rajbanshi language and for greater regional development. In the past, sections of the community have also demanded a separate state or autonomous council under the banner of the Kamtapur movement.

The BJP, which has consistently tried to expand its support among Rajbanshis, Kochs, Kamtapuris and tea garden communities, appeared keen to signal that it would address both cultural identity and economic grievances in a region where feelings of alienation from Kolkata have often shaped politics.

Attempting to tap into the perception that north Bengal has been denied its fair share of institutions and investments, the BJP promised to set up an AIIMS, an IIT, an IIM and a fashion designing institute in different districts of the region. A sports university has also been promised.

The party also said it would develop four new cities in north Bengal, and focus on the region's "holistic development" to end what it described as years of neglect.

While the manifesto did not specify where the proposed urban centres would come up, party leaders said the idea was to create new economic clusters around Siliguri, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Malda.

Darjeeling would be developed as a heritage tourism destination, "keeping Bengal united" — a formulation apparently aimed at balancing the party's support base in the hills with the anxieties in the plains over any renewed demand for a separate state.

The BJP also pledged special attention to revival of tea gardens and restoring Darjeeling Tea as a global brand.

A commission would be constituted to examine the condition of tea garden workers, ensure fair prices for tea and explore ways to increase exports, it said.

The promise is aimed at the tea belt in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar, where closure of gardens, low wages and labour distress have remained major political issues.

The BJP also pledged to operationalise airports at Purulia, Malda and Balurghat under the UDAN scheme to improve connectivity.

Improved air connectivity has been a long-standing demand in north Bengal and adjoining districts, especially given the region's distance from Kolkata and its importance as the gateway to the northeast.

The region, comprising Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Malda, is economically vital for West Bengal because it houses the tea, timber and tourism industries.

It is also strategically crucial because of the Siliguri Corridor, or the 'Chicken's Neck' — a narrow strip connecting mainland India to the northeastern states.

North Bengal has also witnessed ethnic and political mobilisation around demands for separate states by Gorkha, Rajbanshi, Koch and Kamtapuri groups since the 1980s.

For the BJP, which swept large parts of north Bengal in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and the 2021 assembly elections, and remained a formidable force in the region thereafter, retaining its advantage here is critical if it wants to mount a serious challenge to the ruling TMC.

The TMC, on the other hand, has in recent years stepped up efforts to regain lost ground through welfare schemes, outreach to tribal and Rajbanshi communities and renewed engagement with the hills.

The BJP's manifesto suggests the party believes that a calibrated blend of identity politics, regional pride and promises of development could help it hold ground in north Bengal, even as the TMC attempts a comeback.