Six Rajya Sabha seats from West Bengal will go to the polls on July 24; a by-poll will also be held in another seat from the state. Rai heads one of the GCPA factions, demanding that a separate state or union territory be carved out of northern West Bengal. He is believed to have considerable say among the Rajbanshi community of the North Bengal region, estimated to account for nearly 30percentt of the electorate in the area.
BJP names Ananta Maharaj as its RS candidate TMC says bid to fan separatism firstpost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from firstpost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Ananta Rai - the self-proclaimed king of the district - has been demanding that a separate state be carved out of northern West Bengal. The man holds considerable influence over the Koch-Rajbongshi community and claims to have over 18 lakh followers.
The BJP's decision to nominate Ananta Rai 'Maharaj' who has been demanding a separate state of "Greater Cooch Behar" as its candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, has set off a fresh storm.
O Brien, Gokhale among 6 candidates of TMC for RS polls navhindtimes.in - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from navhindtimes.in Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.