BJP on July 12 declared Ananta Maharaj as its Rajya Sabha candidate from West Bengal, for biannual polls scheduled for July 24th, the first time that the party has been in a position to get its candidate elected from the state to the Upper House.
BJP’s candidate Ananta Maharaj is a leader of the Greater Coochbehar Peoples Association, a group that has demanded a separate state out of Cooch Behar (north Bengal) and parts of lower Assam. The BJP’s choice is clearly aimed at the Rajbanshi or Koch Rajbanshi community which concentrated in North Bengal in the state, numbering around 18 lakh, and has influence over seven Lok Sabha seats in that region. The BJP has been actively seeking the support of the Rajbanshi community for long, and Minister of State for Home, Nishith Pramanik in fact met yesterday, after which Mr. Maharaj’s candidature was announced.
The Trinamool Congress announced six candidates for Rajya Sabha seats going to polls. TMC candidates include Derek O’Brien, Sukhendu Shekhar Roy, Dola Sen, Samirul Islam, Saket Gokhale and Prakash Chik Baraik.
Of these, Mr. Baraik belongs to North Bengal, reflecting concerns within the TMC of the BJP’s inroads into that area.
