West Bengal Assembly to discuss resolution against division of state

The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress is expected to pass a motion in the upcoming budget session against the division of statehood. The ruling party has alleged BJP's involvement in instigating demands for the separation of North Bengal into a different state.

Kolkata:Taking a stand on the long pending controversial topic of the division of North Bengal, Mamata Banerjee's ruling party Trinamool Congress (TMC) is expected to pass a resolution against the partition of Bengal in the upcoming budget session. The motion is most likely to be tabled on February 13. Meanwhile, the Mamata Banerjee-led party has alleged that the central government was supporting the demands from the backend to break the state.

In an attempt to thwart the separatist movement, the TMC has called for the opposition members to extend support to the motion. Incidentally, the resolution has come at an important juncture. With Kamtapur Liberation Organisation's (KLO) chief Jeevan Singh surrendering to the demands for Gorkhaland, followed by Cooch Behar's Anant Maharaj struggling to subdue the demand for Greater Cooch Behar, TMC's stance is a fierce reminder that the state's division is a non-negotiable matter.

Incidentally, this is not the first time a resolution will be proposed opposing Bengal's division into two separate states. Earlier in 2017, the ruling party of the state had brought a resolution opposing the division of Bengal. However, at that time, the number of opposition BJP MLAs was only three. Contrarily, the number of opposition MLAs has gone significantly up with 75 MLAs in the state, making it a significant move in political circles.

Alleging BJP's involvement in supporting separatist movements in the state, Nirmal Ghosh, MLA from TMC, alleged that the BJP in West Bengal does not openly support the demand for a separate state, however, subtly supports separatist forces.