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| Udayan Guha |
Shashikesh Roy, MP, 5 June 2024, Cooch Behar: “The so-called Union Home minister’s backbone has been smashed,” stated Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee, commenting on the defeat of Nisith Pramanik of the BJP from the Cooch Behar Constituency. In this seat, Trinamool’s Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia defeated Nisith Pramanik.
The Trinamool candidate won by a margin of about 39,250 votes. After this victory, Udayan Guha, TMC leader and North Bengal Development minister, commented: “We have taken our revenge in Cooch Behar. Even the BJP is not getting numbers at the Centre.”
A large crowd consisting of BJP and Trinamool Congress supporters was visible in the area adjacent to Cooch Behar Polytechnic College since morning. It was a neck-to-neck contest between the Trinamool Congress and BJP candidate from the start.
Finally Trinamool Congress candidate Jagdish Chandra Barma Basunia emerged victorious, securing 788375 votes and Nisith Pramanik getting 749125 votes.
Political experts believe that Rajbanshi vote and alleged high handedness of BJP candidate Nisith Pramanik are the main reasons behind his defeat.
Political analysts opine that Greater Cooch Behar leader and BJP MP Anant Maharaj was offended with the BJP for having gone back on the assurance of a separate administrative arrangement (read Union territory) for North Bengal before the Lok Sabha elections.
As a result, Rajbanshi votes may not have been cast in favour of the BJP. Moreover, the fact that Union Minister of State for Home Nisith Pramanik’s “highhandeness” within his party had not gone down well with BJP old timers.
A section of the BJP party leadership feels that a rift has been created between him and the public. BJP’s South Legislative Assembly MLA Michhil Ranjan Dey said that the cause of the defeat will be analysed.
He said: “North Bengal has always been the stronghold of BJP. We fail to understand why this debacle occurred in this seat.”
Trinamool Congress district president Abhijit De Bhowmik said: “My message to party workers and supporters is not to hold any victory march anywhere. Abhishek Banerjee had promised that he would come to Cooch Behar. When he comes to Cooch Behar, we will hold a victory march. Refrain from political vendettas. I would like to thank Ananta Maharaj who appealed to the masses to fight the evil forces. The people of Cooch Behar gave a verdict in favor of Mamata Banerjee.”
Trinamool winning candidate Jagdish Chandra Barma Basunia said: “This victory is the victory of Cooch Behar. People voted against evil forces.” In 2019, Nisith Pramanik had won by 54231 votes defeating Paresh Chandra Adhikari of the TMC.
Courtesy & source- Millennium Post
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/cooch-behar-union-home-min-nisith-pramanik-faces-defeat-566625