Kamtapur People’s Party extends support to TMC

Kamtapur People’s Party (KPP), Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) long standing ally this time has decided to extend its support to Trinamool Congress for the forthcoming Assembly polls in West Bengal.

It’s a major blow to the BJP in the hilly areas as KPP in 2009 and 2014 Lok Sabha Elections had supported BJP throughout North Bengal. But what prompted the KPP to shift its allegiance to Trinamool Congress just ahead of the polls scheduled to take place on April 17?

According to a senior official of the KPP, they have decided to support the ruling party in the elections as it had taken up various development projects along with North Bengal. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had assured to look into KPP’s demand for the recognition of Rajbangshi language and creation of employment for the unemployed youth which were the main causes behind the KPP’s support to the Trinamool Congress.KPP president Atul Roy announced that they will extend the support to Trinamool Congress candidates contesting the forthcoming Assembly elections in North Bengal so that they come out victorious. This comes a day after Roy had held a closed door meeting with Gautam Deb, the Trinamool Congress candidate from Debgram-Fulbari Assembly segment and also the North Bengal development minister.

Roy announced his party’s support after the Chief Minister had assured that she will consider their demand for the recognition of Rajbangshi language. It may be mentioned that Banerjee had recently announced that she had a plan to extend an official language status to Rajbangshi, besides Nepali and Alchiki languages. KPP had a long standing demand for a constitutional recognition of Rajbangshi language and creation of a separate Kamtapur state. It may also be mentioned that the KPP has some influence in North Bengal and the lower Assam districts. There are more than 30,000 Rajbangshi people near Siliguri at the Debgram-Fulbari Assembly segment. As the KPP has joined hands with the Trinamool Congress, a sizeable amount of votes would go in favour of Trinamool Congress candidates. Trinamool Congress leaders from North Bengal are confident that they will secure more number of seats in the forthcoming Assembly elections.