BJP’s third candidate list sparks dissent in Cooch Behar

Cooch Behar: Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday announced its third list of candidates for the West Bengal Assembly elections, fielding two leaders linked to the Greater Cooch Behar movement in the Cooch Behar district. Ashutosh Barma has been nominated from Sitai, while Girija Shankar Roy will contest from Natabari.

The announcement has triggered unrest within sections of the party’s grassroots base. Protests broke out at the BJP office in Gosanimari under Sitai Constituency, where local workers demanded a change of candidate. In Natabari, dissent was less visible on the ground but surfaced online, with several party workers voicing dissatisfaction on social media.

Arpita Narayan, district president of the BJP Mahila Morcha, publicly criticised the decision, saying: “This is becoming a joke.” The discontent has been further fuelled by the denial of a ticket to sitting MLA Mihir Goswami.

Seeking to downplay the situation, the district BJP president, Abhijit Barman, asserted that there is no internal rift and stressed that party workers will unite to secure victory.

The candidate selection is significant given the influence of the Rajbanshi community, a key electoral factor in the region. The community’s political direction is shaped largely by two leaders—Ananta Maharaj and Banshi Badan Barman—who are now seen as politically distant.

Both nominees are associated with Banshi Badan Barman’s organisation and his recent declaration of support for the BJP has added a strategic dimension to the move. Meanwhile, Ananta Maharaj, despite being a BJP Rajya Sabha MP, has reportedly drifted from the party and was recently honoured with the ‘Bangabhushan’ award by the state government. Observers see the BJP’s move as an attempt to consolidate the Rajbanshi vote, though its impact remains uncertain.

In a parallel development, the All India Trinamool Congress has fielded Hari Har Das, a close associate of Ananta Maharaj, from Sitalkuchi.