By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata/Coochbehar: The first phase Loksabha Election in West Bengal is being held today, 17 Apri in the four constituencies of Coochbehar, Alipurduar, Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri.
Coochbehar and Jalpaiguri constituency are reserved for Schedule Caste and Alipurduar reserved for Schedule tribe and only Darjeeling constituency is open for all. 47 Candidates are in fray for these four seats.
Pijush Barman
Of these four seats, Coochbehar has the maximum Muslim population with 26.34 percent. In Alipurduar they comprise 9.46%, in Darjeeling 14.16 percent and 14.55 percent in Jalpaiguri. Muslims play critical role in deciding the winner in Coochbehar. In the last Lok Sabha Election, Nripendra Nath Roy of the All India Forward Bloc had won with 44.66% votes.
Coochbehar has 7 Assembly seats, out of which currently three are held by AIFB and 3 by TMC, and one seat by Congress.
In 2009, Alipurduar (ST) Loksabha constituency candidate Manohar Tirkey of RSP had won while TMC was second and BJP third.
In Dargeeling Loksabha constituency Jaswant Singh of BJP had won in 2009 with 51.5 percent vote. Nearest rival Jibesh Sarkar of CPIM had got 25.29 percent vote and Congress candidate Daoa Narbula was got 19.43 percent. But this year TMC nominated Footballer Baiching Butyia as candidate to contesting from Darjeeling constituency against BJP candidate S.S. Ahluwalia supported by Gorkha Janamukti Morcha.
In Jalpaiguri (SC) Loksabha constituency in 2009 Mahendra Kumar Roy of CPIM had won with 45.54 percent vote. Nearest rival of Congress had got 36.97 percent only.
It should be mentioned here that in 2009, TMC and Congress were in alliances and the division of votes may help the Left Front in some seats.
Besides, these leading parties Welfare Party of India too has fielded its candidate in Coochbehar. Local resident and Lawyer of Coochbehar Judge Court Pijushh Barman contesting as a WPI candidate in Coochbehar constituency.
45 year old Pijush Barman told TCN that he feels happy being part of WPI and is hopeful of success. He said that besides the Muslim votes, he is also hopeful of getting `Coach Rajbangshi’ non-Muslim votes, as he comes from the same clan.
According to him WPI is a secular party, although many of its leading members are Muslims and its ideology of clean politics is most befitting the time.
Identity and rise of communal forces like Narendra Modi are the main issues according to him.
AIUDF is also supporting WPI in Coochbehar, informed the state president of WPI Dr Raisuddin. He said that AIUDF and WPI have agreed to support each other candidate where they have don’t have their own candidate.
AIUDF state President Maulana Siddiqullah Chowdhury told TCN that, we have decided to support WPI candidates were not given AIUDF candidates. In future we may tie up with WPI, he said.
Former State Minister and recently expelled from CPIM veteran leader Abdur Rejjak Molla too has extended his support to the WPI.