New Delhi, Feb 23 (NationPress) The ruling party of West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress, is intensifying its political maneuvers as the state's Assembly elections draw near, signaling a likely multi-faceted competition for the anti-BJP voter base.

This strategy includes honoring a BJP MP with the state's prestigious award and considering keeping several MPs within their constituencies to lead regional campaign efforts.

On Saturday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee presented West Bengal’s highest civilian distinction, the “Bangabibhushan”, to BJP Rajya Sabha member Nagendra Ray.

Ray, who asserts his lineage from Cooch Behar’s former royalty, is affectionately called Ananta Maharaj by his supporters due to his advocacy for the Rajbanshi community. This community represents over 18% of the Scheduled Castes population in West Bengal and is the largest SC group in the state.

With an estimated population of around five million across Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Malda, and Murshidabad districts, they represent a crucial voting demographic.

Both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP are vying for the Rajbanshi vote. The ruling party holds the allegiance of a faction within a Rajbanshi organization advocating for a separate state that would include seven districts in North Bengal and three in Assam.

During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, this faction of the Greater Cooch Behar Peoples’ Association (GCPA), led by Bangshibadan Barman, publicly allied with the ruling party.

Despite this support, Barman insisted on their demand for the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The Rajbanshi community has consistently voiced concerns about “outsiders” occupying their land, which led them to seek the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Review (SIR) of the electoral rolls to address alleged land encroachments.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP’s Nisith Pramanik secured the Cooch Behar seat; however, he lost it in 2024 amidst a vigorous campaign that suggested the Centre would enforce the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The Rajbanshi community feared that this law could legitimize the status of many individuals they wished to remove.

In the recent elections, Trinamool candidate Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia triumphed over Pramanik. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Trinamool led in four out of the seven Assembly segments that make up the Cooch Behar Parliamentary constituency, a significant increase from only winning two seats in the 2021 Assembly elections.

Although Ray expressed pleasure in receiving the honor, he refrained from discussing potential implications within the BJP. However, he has been known to disagree with the party leadership on various matters. Mamata’s gesture is perceived as an attempt to solidify Rajbanshi support in the area.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that numerous Trinamool MPs may participate actively in the election campaign, potentially skipping the second phase of Parliament’s Budget Session.

This session, which begins on March 9 and runs until April 2, coincides with the expected polling timeline. The focus may be on MPs with significant public appeal and those capable of drawing crowds.

There are also considerations for reinstating their attendance, contingent on decisions made by party Chairperson Mamata Banerjee in early March, as shared by a party leader.

If asked to lead a united Opposition front by that time, she may direct party MPs to balance their roles between the central and state levels, enabling them to participate in parliamentary protests while mobilizing support for elections at home, “as required,” the leader added.