Cooch Behar LS seat: Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia emerges as TMC’s contender

Cooch Behar: As anticipated, Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia is now the Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate for the Cooch Behar Lok Sabha seat. A prominent leader, Jagadish currently holds the position of MLA in the Sitai Assembly. Abhishek Banerjee unveiled the party’s candidates following Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s instructions during the Trinamool meeting at Brigade on Sunday.

Jagadish’s candidacy announcement sparked joy among his fans in the district, putting an end to long-standing rumors. Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia is a Trinamool candidate who faces no internal opposition within the party. His organisational prowess extends across various areas, starting from his Assembly, making him a reliable choice, according to political insiders.

Expressing gratitude, Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia stated: “Now, it is my responsibility to fulfill the trust the team has placed in me. I will secure this seat for Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee.”

BJP’s Cooch Behar district president, Sukumar Roy, commented on the Trinamool candidate, saying: “We are not concerned about who nominated whom. We are focused on our candidate and the people are supporting us.”

Having secured the MLA position in Sitai in 2016 and 2021, Jagdish played a crucial role in the Trinamool’s significant vote share from the Sitai Assembly, even during the party’s loss in the 2019 Cooch Behar Lok Sabha seat. Jagadish maintains harmonious relations with leaders across the party spectrum, old and new alike, resulting in unanimous support for his nomination.

In the upcoming elections, Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia will face off against BJP’s candidate Nisith Pramanik, the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Sports and Youth Affairs. The two-way contest has already set both parties into full election mode.