Bengal polls 2016: Forward Bloc won 5 seats in Cooch Behar district in 2011

Kolkata, March 3: West Bengal will go to the Assembly elections in April and May. The state has 294 seats in its Assembly and to form government, a party has to win 148 seats.

Oneindia will take up each of the 20 districts of the state and discuss their political and socio-economic scenario ahead of the crucial elections.

Today (March 3) we focus on Cooch Behar, the north-eastern most district.

About Cooch Behar:

During the British rule, Cooch Behar town was the seat of a princely state of Koch Bihar, which was ruled by the Koch dynasty.

As of 2011, Cooch Behar is the third least populous district of West Bengal.

Politically:

Cooch Behar is known to be a stronghold of the All India Forward Bloc (AIFB), a constituent of the Left Front, which had won five of the nine Assembly seats in this district. But this time, with Udayan Guha, MLA from Dinhata and son of late AIFB leader Kamal Guha, quitting the party to join the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Left may find it tough to keep this district under its control.

The Assembly constituencies in the district are: Mathabhanga, Cooch Behar Uttar, Cooch Behar Dakshin, Sitalkuchi, Sitai, Dinhata, Natabari and Tufanganj.

Seats won by parties in 2011 Assembly elections: Left 5 (all AIFB), TMC 3, Congress 1

Issues:

Erosion of Teesta river, struggling timber industry, death of elephants in train hits in Chapramari forest area. Tourism industry is, however, doing good in the district.

Oneindia News