Koch Rajbongshi Candidates Address Tribal Status in Bongaigaon Elections
Koch Rajbongshi Community's Demand in Bongaigaon Elections
A file image of members of Koch Rajbongshi community taking out a protesting demanding ST status (AT Image)
Bongaigaon, April 3: In the upcoming Assembly elections on April 9, only three out of five candidates representing the Koch Rajbongshi community in Bongaigaon district have prioritized the demand for tribal status in their campaign agendas.
Girish Barua, the Congress candidate for the Bongaigaon seat, along with Bhupen Ray, the BJP candidate supported by the NDA for the Abhayapuri constituency, have both committed to advocating for the tribal status of the Koch Rajbongshi community in the State Assembly if elected, as stated by Sanjib Koch, president of the All Koch Rajbongshi Students’ Union's Bongaigaon unit.
On the other hand, Diptimayee Choudhury, the NDA-backed AGP candidate for Bongaigaon, has yet to express a definitive stance regarding the tribal status issue for the Koch Rajbongshi community.
Sanjib Koch criticized Choudhury, claiming, “Her lack of clarity on the ST issue has led to disappointment among the Koch Rajbongshi voters, discouraging them from supporting her.”
Independent candidate Badreswar Barman from the Srijagram seat has included the demand for tribal status in his campaign, asserting that it is a rightful claim of the Koch Rajbongshi community.
Among the candidates contesting the Abhayapuri seat, Bhupen Ray (BJP) stands out as the sole Koch Rajbongshi representative, with approximately 65,000 voters from the community in that constituency.
Similarly, Bhadreswar Barman (Independent) is the only Koch Rajbongshi candidate among five in the Srijangram seat, which has around 22,000 voters from the community.
In the Bongaigaon seat, three out of six candidates belong to the Koch Rajbongshi community, which comprises about 82,000 voters in that area.