With a view to regaining the Cooch Bengal Lok Sabha constituency, the Trinamul Congress leadership has asked the party leaders and workers to increase at least 5 votes in each booth from the number of votes obtained in recently ended rural polls.
The objective is to beat the BJP in the forthcoming Lok Sabha Elections in 2024 and regain the seat, which was bagged by the BJP in 2019. Significantly, the Trinamul Congress leadership has already started strengthening organisational activities by arranging Bijaya Sammelani, which was held in each Gram Panchayat in rural belt.
The TMC leaders have also organised such programmes ward wise in different levels in urban areas in Cooch Behar district. Cooch Behar district Trinamul Congress president Abhijit De Bhowmick has asked all representatives of civic bodies and office bearers in both urban and rural areas to execute the ongoing projects and ready new schemes to serve the people soon. “We are expecting that the notification for Lok Sabha Elections may be announced in the last week of March or the first week of April in 2024.
After notification civic bodies will not be able to carry out any works for the people,” said the TMC district president Mr Bhowmick. Apparently confident Mr Bhowmick said that the TMC would regain the Cooch Behar LS seat and we have planned to beat the BJP here by a margin of 5 lakh votes. Citing example Mr Bhowmick said: “ At present we are leading by 3.52 lakh votes as per the records of last rural polls. In 22 Zilla Parishad seats of the 23 in Cooch Behar LS constituency, the TMC candidates won all seats and managed the lead margin of 3.53 lakh than the BJP.
The TMC candidate won another ZP seat without contest.” “If we can increase at least 5 votes from the present number of votes obtained in each polling station, we will definitely beat the BJP by a margin of 5 lakh vote in 2024. The BJP here is in no position to make up the present margin,” said Mr Bhowmick, adding, “We have asked all members of civic bodies to do work more for the people and the party.”
On the other hand, the TMC leader and Minister in Charge of North Bengal Development Development, Mr Udayan Guho said: “We will definitely change the LS results in 2019 and it will not repeat again. We are trying hard to regain Cooch Behar LS seat. We are confident TMC will open its account in North Bengal in 2024.” The BJP bagged all seven LS seats in North Bengal.
The Congress bagged only Malda ( South) LS seat by a narrow margin. It may be noted that the BJP’s MP from Cooch Behar, Nisith Pramanik, who is presently Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, has been working to retain his seat at his own style.
Mr Pramanik has recently announced award for party leaders and workers on the basis of their performance in organisation to garner votes in the forthcoming Parliament Elections. Keeping an eye on Rajbanshi vote bank the BJP had nominated Nagendra Roy, popularly known as Ananta Maharaj from Cooch Behar as Rajya Sabha member. Mr Roy as a Member of Rajya Sabha has been working for Mr Pramanik when the TMC leaders are desperately working politically to beat the BJP.
Notably, the BJP has bagged 24 Gram Panchayahas in rural polls in Cooch Behar. In 2018, the BJP had bagged only one Gram Panchayat. When asked to comment on how the TMC is expecting better results, the district president Mr Bhowmick said: “The people have changed their minds. I am confident arter reading the people’s mood.”
At a time when the TMC has been campaigning, showcasing the issue of 100- day job, the BJP leaders have started demanding the payment of job card holders’ due criticising corruption in TMC ruled Gram Panchayats. The BJP leaders and workers staged demonstration in front of Cooch Behar Block office today and served an 11-point memorandum including proper implementation of Centre Government sponsored schemes including the payment for 100 day job.
The BJP leaders and workers took out rallies in different blocks in North Bengal today showcasing the scam in public distribution system in West Bengal.