BJP FACES TURF TEST IN CITADEL

BJP won 3 constituencies - Alipurduar, Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri - in 2019

- SULAGNA SENGUPTA

THREE parliamentary constituencies in north Bengal -Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar will vote in the first phase of polling on April 19. The entire north Bengal is considered a saffron citadel with BJP winning seven seats from the region. Six of the seven seats are reserved for SC and ST. The ruling Trinamool Congress is determined to wrest it from the BJP in a largely bipolar contest.

In the three constituencies, the BJP appears to have an edge over TMC because of saffron party's tacit support for the local sentiment for a Union Territory status for the region.

In 2019, out of the total 42 seats in West Bengal, the TMC won 22 seats while the BJP 18 seats and the remaining two by the UPA.

Of the 18 seats in the BJP kitty, seven were from north Bengal.

A few incidents in the past few days show the seriousness of the Trinamool-BJP rivalry.

Union minister of state for home affairs Nisith Pramanik, and state minister for north Bengal development department Udayan Guha almost came to blows on the streets in Cooch Behar during rallies of the respective parties. It is clear that this constituency will witness a fierce contest between Pramanik and TMC's Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia.