A fresh political development involving the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) has drawn attention in the region’s electoral landscape, barely days before north Bengal votes on April 23.

Krishna Das, Trinamool’s Jalpaiguri candidate, on Saturday sought support from self-styled KLO chief Jibon Singha.

Das said he could facilitate a meeting with chief minister Mamata Banerjee if Singha dropped the demand of a state carved out of Bengal.

Singha, backing the BJP, did not respond to the proposal and made it clear that while peace talks with the BJP-led Centre were ongoing, there was “no question” of entering into talks with the state government at this stage.

However, he described Das as a “very good friend”.

The KLO, led by Singha, has been engaged in bilateral peace talks with the Centre, demanding the restoration of the erstwhile Cooch Behar state (which merged with India in 1949), inclusion of the Rajbanshi/Kamtapuri language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, and ST status for Koch-Rajbanshi communities.

Despite several rounds of discussions, no formal peace agreement has yet been reached.

Singha’s democratic platform, the Kamtapur State Demand Council (KSDC), had initially fielded candidates in 27 constituencies across north Bengal.

But as Union home minister Amit Shah, while campaigning in north Bengal, announced that the Centre would consider including the Rajbanshi language in the Eighth Schedule if the BJP came to power in Bengal, Singha and KSDC president Tapati Roy Mallick declared that they would withdraw from active campaigning and support the BJP.

This decision triggered dissent within the KSDC when a section of the candidates refused to withdraw and chose to continue contesting independently, rejecting the directive to back the BJP.

Sensing an opportunity in the internal conflict, Trinamool tried to leverage the situation politically.

Trinamool candidate Das, at a news meet in Jalpaiguri on Saturday, said: “We are all against the division of the state. The central government is playing games with Jibon Singha. If he wishes, we can arrange his meeting with Mamata Banerjee. But discussions must happen without raising the issue of a separate state. Real development is the key to progress for Rajbanshi, Kamtapuri, and all other communities in north Bengal.”

Singha, who has been staying in BJP-ruled Assam for the past few years, however, responded over the phone to The Telegraph.

“He (Das) is a very good friend of mine. I am neither accepting nor rejecting his proposal. We demand the restoration of the Cooch Behar state, which merged with India. At present, I am engaged in bilateral peace talks with the Centre,” he said.

Although Jiban Singha has not directly accepted the TMC’s outreach, Krishna Das’s message appears aimed at influencing the Rajbanshi-Kamtapuri electorate. Whether this strategy will impact voter sentiment on April 23 remains uncertain.

“Jibon Singha influences Rajbanshi voters, which Trinamool knows well. That is why it has played this new card,” said a political observer.