Khokon Mia, the Cooch Behar district president of the Trinamool Congress’s farmers’ front, on Saturday switched over to the Congress which is likely to field him from the Cooch Behar South Assembly constituency.
Trinamool has already nominated its district president Abhijit De Bhowmik, while the BJP is yet to announce a candidate for the seat.
Nazmul Alam Sarkar, a prominent Muslim face, is the canddiate of the Forward Bloc, a constituent of the Left Front, in Cooch Behar South.
In the presence of AICC observer Biraj Prasad Sahu and other leaders, district Congress president Biswajit Sarkar, handed over the party flag to Miah, and formally inducted him into the party.
“Many Trinamool leaders, even former ministers, are in touch with us. We will reveal their names in due course,” said Sarkar.
The Congress is likely to field Mia from Cooch Behar South, party insiders said.
Explaining his decision, Miah, who was the district president of the Kishan Khet Mazdoor Congress, alleged growing marginalisation within the party.
“Over the past few years, our importance in the party has diminished. It became difficult to work in an atmosphere of neglect and humiliation. The current district leadership does not value senior workers,” he said and expressed dissatisfaction over Trinamool’s decision not to field a minority candidate.
Political analysts say the electoral arithmetic in Cooch Behar South has always been complex, with a mix of municipal areas and rural panchayats. Mihir Goswami of Trinamool won in the the 2016 Assembly polls, riding on rural minority votes.
However, in 2021, BJP candidate Nikhil Chandra Dey wrested the seat from Trinamool.
Dey’s decisive lead in the 20 wards of Cooch Behar town offset Trinamool’s rural advantage.
Miah, a long-time Trinamool leader, is also a member of the Cooch Behar 1 panchayat samiti and was the Cooch Behar 1 block president of Trinamool until 2019.
If Miah is fielded by the Congress, a significant section of minority voters could shift to the party, posing a fresh challenge for Trinamool, which has relied heavily on rural support.
In Cooch Behar, veteran Trinamool leader Rabindranath Ghosh’s suipporters were disgruntled after he was denied a ticket. Miah was considered close to that camp.
Congress leaders described the development as a “homecoming,” and claimed that experienced leaders, who felt sidelined in rinamool, were gradually returning to the party.
Abhishek’s visit
Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee will start his election campaign in north Bengal on March 26. On that day, he will speak in two public meetings at Natabari in Cooch Behar district and Dhupguri in Jalpaiguri district and attend a road show at Kalchini in Alipurduar district.
On March 28, the Diamond Harbour MP will reach Tapan and Balurghat in South Dinajpur to address public meetings.
On March 31, Abhishek will address three public meetings at Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar district, Rajganj in Jalpaiguri district and at Falakata in Alipurduar district, Trinamool sources said.