Why does BJP want Bengal divided? What did Sukant Majumdar explain to PM Modi?

New Delhi: BJP, which is on the backfoot after the Lok Sabha elections, has once again started trying to strengthen its political edge. BJP has decided to bat against its opponents from the pitch of Bengal. Actually, BJP has raised the political temperature of the country by talking about Bengal division. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is furious with BJP. At the same time, other opposition parties are also gradually raising questions on BJP’s intentions. On the other hand, BJP is preparing to play openly on this issue. West Bengal BJP Chief Sukanta Majumdar has met PM Narendra Modi and requested to include North Bengal in the Northeast.

TMC calls BJP ‘anti-Bengal’

After Majumdar’s demand, a political controversy has arisen in the entire country including Bengal. Trinamool Congress is attacking BJP. TMC has called BJP ‘anti-Bengal’. In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, BJP has won 6 out of 8 Lok Sabha seats in North Bengal. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP won 7 out of 8 seats in North Bengal. BJP’s position is strong in North Bengal. In such a situation, BJP wants to shake the politics of entire Bengal through North India.

What did Majumdar explain to PM Modi?

On Wednesday, Majumdar said, “I met the Prime Minister and submitted a presentation highlighting the similarities between North Bengal and the northeastern states. I requested him/her to include North Bengal, a part of West Bengal, in the northeastern states.”
he/she further said, ‘The Prime Minister will take a decision on this proposal at the appropriate time, if North Bengal is included in the Northeast then it will get the benefits of the central government’s schemes, there will be more development. I don’t think the state government will have any objection and it will cooperate.’

What will BJP gain from the division of Bengal?

BJP’s Bengal plan cannot be understood without understanding the politics of North Bengal. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP won 7 out of 8 seats in North Bengal. Although in 2024 BJP has suffered a setback in West Bengal and its number of seats has come down from 18 to 12, but BJP has maintained its hold in North Bengal and won 6 out of 8 seats. One thing is clear from this number that BJP has prepared its political ground in North Bengal and if the central government implements Sukanta Majumdar’s proposal regarding North Bengal, then BJP will benefit from it and its vote bank will be strengthened. Also, TMC will suffer a big setback. Mamata Banerjee will suffer a major political blow.

There has been a demand for Bengal partition earlier too

This is not the first time that BJP leaders from West Bengal have made such a demand and raised it before the Narendra Modi government. In 2021, the then Alipurduar MP John Barla had raised the demand for a separate state or union territory from North Bengal for the development of the region. he/she had alleged that for years the state governments have disrespected the people of the region, they were not given the attention they should have been given.

The matter echoed in Parliament

After the Question Hour ended in the House today, Speaker Om Birla gave Trinamool Congress member Kalyan Banerjee an opportunity to put forth his/her point. Banerjee referred to a statement made by Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region Sukanta Majumdar regarding the division of West Bengal. Speaker Birla said that the Union Minister has not made any such statement in the House and any statement made outside the House will not be discussed here. Referring to an issue raised by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, Trinamool Congress MP Banerjee claimed that he/she said that ‘two districts of Bengal will be taken away.’ Birla said, ‘he/she (Dubey) put forth his/her subject in Zero Hour. But we will not discuss any outside subject here.’ On this, Banerjee and other Trinamool Congress members started creating ruckus demanding permission to speak. Dubey had demanded during Zero Hour on Thursday that Santhal Paragana region of Jharkhand, Malda and Murshidabad of West Bengal and Araria, Kishanganj and Katihar of Bihar should be merged to form a Union Territory and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) should be implemented here.