KOLKATA: Ananta Rai 'Maharaj', who has been demanding that a separate state of 'Greater Cooch Behar' be carved out of West Bengal, on Tuesday said he has been offered a Rajya Sabha ticket by the BJP, after a meeting with Union MoS for Home Nisith Pramanik.
Pramanik, the BJP MP of Cooch Behar, met the Greater Cooch Behar Peoples' Association (GCPA) leader at his residence, and held an hour-long meeting.
"I have been given an offer (for Rajya Sabha). They said they were considering my name. I am not opposed to it. Let's see what happens," Ananta told reporters with Pramanik by his side.
Pramanik said it would benefit the entire state if people like him go to Parliament.
"We want someone from Cooch Behar like Ananta Maharaj, who works for the development of the people, to be sent to the Upper House. But I cannot comment until the list is out as nothing is final. Let the names be announced officially," he said.
Six Rajya Sabha seats from West Bengal will go to the polls on July 24, besides, bypoll will also be held in another seat from the state.
However, it was not immediately clear whether Ananta Rai was offered a ticket to contest one of these seats or will be nominated to the Upper House.
Ananta Rai 'Maharaj' heads one of the factions of GCPA, which has been demanding that a separate state be carved out of northern West Bengal.
With its eight districts, including picturesque Darjeeling, north Bengal is economically important for the state for its tea, timber and tourism industries.
The region, which shares a border with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, has witnessed several violent statehood movements since the early eighties by various ethnic groups such as Gorkhas, Rajbanshis, Kochs and Kamatapuris.
Several BJP MPs and MLAs from the region have advocated that a separate state or Union territory be carved out with these eight districts.
However, the state BJP has maintained that it does not support such demands.
The Trinamool Congress on Monday announced its candidates for six Rajya Sabha seats.
Among them were Derek O'Brien, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Dola Sen.
O'Brien, an MP since 2011, is the TMC's leader in Rajya Sabha, while Ray, who was first sent to the Upper House of Parliament in 2012, is the deputy chief whip.
Sen, a senior leader and trade unionist, became an MP in 2017.
The newcomers on the list were Bangla Sanskriti Mancha president Samirul Islam, TMC's Alipurduar district president Prakash Chik Baraik, and RTI activist and TMC spokesperson Saket Gokhale.
The bypoll will be held in another seat as former Goa chief minister Luizinho Faleiro resigned as a TMC MP in April.
The TMC has 216 MLAs in the 294-member assembly and enjoys the support of five BJP MLAs, who switched over to the ruling party but are yet to resign from the House.
The BJP has a strength of 70 in the assembly.
As per the numbers in the assembly, TMC will get six of these seven Rajya Sabha seats and the BJP one.