Ananta Rai, who heads the faction of the Greater Cooch Behar Peoples’ Association (GCPA), has been named by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Wednesday, as its Rajya Sabha candidate from the state. Notably, Ananta Rai is a proponent of the Greater Cooch Behar, which has been demanding a separate state to be carved out of the present state of West Bengal.
Reportedly, Rai, who claims to be a descendant of the Koch-Rajbangshi dynasty, is stated to have substantial influence over approximately two million Koch-Rajbangshi voters spread across seven districts of West Bengal and Assam.