Lok Sabha elections: In Cooch Behar, it is a battle of ‘schemes’ between TMC and BJP

Lok Sabha elections 2024: In the lead-up to the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee each held public rallies in the traditional saffron stronghold of North Bengal's Cooch Behar Lok Sabha constituency. The contest in this constituency, historically dominated by the BJP, is now intensifying with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) making concerted efforts to challenge BJP's dominance.

The BJP has fielded the incumbent MP, Nishith Pramanik, while the TMC has nominated Jagadish Chandra Burma Basunia. Nitish Chandra Roy of the Forward Bloc (FB) is also contesting, engaged in a "friendly fight" alongside Congress's Pia Roy Chowdhury, who is an ally.

Barring Chowdhury, all other candidates belong to the Rajbongshi community.

Three seats in the Dooars—Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, and Jalpaiguri—will vote during the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 19th.

The anti-thesis in the plethora of poll promises made to the people of Dooars by either the BJP or TMC is primarily centered on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Relying on the promise of the CAA, the BJP has succeeded in securing the majority of votes in this constituency since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Additionally, in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly Elections, the BJP emerged victorious in all seven Assembly segments within the Cooch Behar Lok Sabha constituency.

The schemes

Jagadish Chandra Burma Basunia from the TMC camp has been described as the ‘diamond candidate’ by TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee. Basunia is banking on the promise of an increase in the Chief Minister’s direct benefit schemes like Lakshmir Bhandar to woo the voters from the Dooars belt.

Meanwhile, BJP's Nisith Pramanik, who is also the youngest minister in the PM Modi government, has been reaching out to the residents of Cooch Behar, including Muslims, in an attempt to counter the negative image of the saffron camp. Pramanik has also been organizing Sandeshkhali events to pitch PM Modi's ‘developmental’ schemes and contrast them with the alleged ‘atrocities’ of the TMC.

“Modiji’s central schemes are for everyone — both Hindus and Muslims. Do you want a Sandeshkhali here?” Pramanik said addressing a rally. The crowd responded with a resounding “no.”

Pramanik’s campaign has been marked by small street-corner meetings with a convoy of cars, motorbikes and an open-top jeep. Meanwhile, Basunia has been holding meetings in villages accompanied by party workers and leaders.

'Time to turn around'

Addressing an election rally at Kaljani village in Cooch Behar, which has a significant Muslim population, Pramanik said, “Modiji’s schemes — PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, PM Vishwakarma can be availed by all, Hindus or Muslims. We do not differentiate… I may be the candidate, but it is not about ‘I’. It’s about ‘we’."

"Let’s all strengthen Modiji’s hand, make India the world’s best nation.” He also shifts focus to Sandeshkhali, asking the crowd whether they are aware of “the atrocities the TMC committed against women there,” as quoted in the report.

On the other hand, TMC's Basunia acknowledged the recent electoral defeats in Cooch Behar. He conceded the setbacks faced by the Mamata Banerjee-led camp and states, “This is the time to turn around… You all know and receive the benefits of Mamata Banerjee’s schemes like Kanyashree and Lakshmir Bhandar… It is only Mamata Banerjee who has introduced so many government schemes for you. Modi won’t do it.”