Kamtapur Progressive Party (KPP), a proponent of statehood which claims to have clout among Rajbanshis, has slammed the BJP for playing the statehood card to draw votes from the community in north Bengal and has simultaneously appreciated the Trinamul state government for certain initiatives.
Representatives of KPP on Monday accused the saffron camp of creating confusion over the issue of statehood and said that they would ask Rajbanshis of this region to give a second thought before voting for the BJP in the panchayat elections.
Abhijit Roy, the office secretary of KPP, said that on one hand, the central government had formally informed them that the statehood demand is under consideration, and on the other hand, the chief minister of Assam is negotiating with the KLO. Further, Ananta Maharaj, who heads a faction of the Greater Cooch Behar Peoples’ Association, is claiming to be in talks with the Centre, Roy said.
“All these indicate that the BJP is trying to create confusion and play the statehood card again to draw votes from us. People here had supported the party but this time, it is unlikely that they will spontaneously vote for the party that has done nothing related to our demand,” said Roy.
On December 28, the KPP, along with some like-minded organisations, has planned a public meeting in Cooch Behar town.
“At the event, we will decide our future course of action. We will not allow the BJP to dupe us every time by dangling the carrot that it will meet our demand,” the KPP leader added.
The KPP leaders also appreciated chief minister Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamul-led state government.
“The chief minister has acted on a number of our proposals. She has set up language academies and a development board. She has also taken up the initiative to recognise Rajbanshi and Kamtapuri-medium schools,” said Manabendranath Roy, the assistant secretary of KPP.
Political observers said that retaining the Rajbanshi vote bank was crucial for the saffron camp in the panchayat polls of the state.
“The Rajbanshi vote bank plays a major role in north Bengal. If it swings against the BJP, the party suffers. This swing can benefit Trinamul,” said an observer.