Cooch Behar Lok Sabha election 2024: The Cooch Behar Lok Sabha constituency is located in West Bengal. There are nine Vidhan Sabha constituencies in the Cooch Behar district- Cooch Behar North and South, Mathabhanga, Sitalkuchi, Dinhata, Sitai, Natabari, and Mekhliganj. The Lok Sabha constituency is reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates. Cooch Behar was ruled by several kings and there are several palaces in the region, including the Cooch Behar Royal Palace. The parliamentary seat of Cooch Behar was long held by the Lefts Forward Bloc, but the picture changed in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and Renuka Sinha of the Trinamool Congress won the seat. After the death of Renuka Sinha, Trinamool Congresss Pratima Ray was successful in winning the by-election held in 2016. In the 2019 polls, BJP won the seat for the first time.
Union minister of state (MoS) for home affairs Nisith Pramanik has started campaigning as a BJP candidate for Cooch Behar Lok Sabha seat, showcasing the Prime Minister’s idea ‘Vikshit Bharat’ to motivate young generation as well as new voters. Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stressed the need to involve the students and youths in achieving the common goal of Vikshit Bharat towards building a developed India by 2047.
Pramanik started his campaigning from Mathabhanga area and concluded it at Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar. He has planned to cover all Assembly segments, showcasing the theme of Vikshit Bharat.
Nisith Pramanik is contesting Lok Sabha polls the second time from Cooch Behar. The minister came down heavily on the Trinamool Congress as his rival in the forthcoming parliament elections. Pramanik has threatened the TMC leadership pointing out Sandeshkhali issues.
Who is TMC candidate Jagadish Chandra Basunia?
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. 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.
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.
AIFB candidate Nitish Chandra Roy
Forward Bloc’s Nitish Chandra Roy has been named as the Left Front’s candidate from Cooch Behar. He is contesting polls from the All India Forward Bloc.
The All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) is a left-wing nationalist political party in India. It emerged as a faction within the Indian National Congress in 1939, led by Subhas Chandra Bose. The party re-established as an independent political party after the independence of India. It has its main stronghold in West Bengal. The party's current Secretary-General is G Devarajan. Veteran Indian politicians Sarat Chandra Bose (brother of Subhas Chandra Bose) and Chitta Basu had been the stalwarts of the party in independent India.
