The BJP has nominated Ananta Rai 'Maharaj', who has been demanding that a separate state of 'Greater Cooch Behar' be carved out of West Bengal, to the Rajya Sabha from the state.
With the saffron party having 70 MLAs in the West Bengal assembly, Ananta is almost certain to be chosen as the Rajya Sabha MP, unless large-scale cross-voting takes place.
Six Rajya Sabha seats from West Bengal will go to the polls on July 24. A bypoll will be held in another seat as former Goa chief minister Luizinho Faleiro resigned as a TMC MP in April.
Ananta, who heads one of the factions of the Greater Cooch Behar Peoples' Association (GCPA), led a violent movement 15 years ago in north Bengal demanding separate state for Koch and Kamatapuris, and is out on bail. He has been extremely vocal for a separate statehood or union territory of north Bengal, since the post-poll violence in West Bengal after 2021 assembly poll.
With its eight districts, north Bengal is economically important for the state for its tea, timber and tourism industries. The region, which shares a border with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, has witnessed several violent statehood movements since the early eighties by various ethnic groups such as Gorkhas, Rajbanshis, Kochs and Kamatapuris.
Two ministers of the Narendra Modi government—John Barla and Nisith Pramanik—have also raised the same demand. Interestingly, Union MoS for Home and BJP MP of Cooch Behar Pramanik met Ananta today, following which the latter told reporters that he has been offered a Rajya Sabha ticket.
With less than a year to go for Lok Sabha polls, Ananta's candidature, sidestepping many strong contenders in south Bengal, is significant.
Ananta said he had several rounds of meetings with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and then West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar over carving out at least the union territory.
"The union home minister told me it's just a mater of time," he said.
When contacted today, Ananta, who was still not a member of the BJP, said he was happy to be nominated by the party.
Will his demand for separate statehood or union territory be compromised now? "Keep an eye on my work. Time will tell whether I compromised with the centre or not," he told THE WEEK.
Sources said that Ananta is close to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who had an hand in convincing Shah to nominate Ananta.
"He would now raise the issue of Bengal's division in Parliament. Also, the demand would be raised during the polls in north Bengal to sweep the state," said a BJP leader.
BJP leaders had promised bifurcation or trifurcation of the state ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. There is also a demand for Gorkhaland in hills of Darjeeling. The people there are not happy with the proposal of making it a union territory.
(With PTI inputs)
