>BrownHairedGirl at 15:01, 25 April 2021

2021-04-25T15:01:44Z

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The '''Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party''' is a [[political party]] in the northern areas of [[West Bengal]], [[India]]. The party strives to create a separate 'Greater Cooch Behar' state. The GCBDP was founded in 2006, after a split in the [[Greater Cooch Behar People's Association]] (GCPA). Ashutosh Barma is the president of the party. [[Bangshibadan Barman]], the erstwhile jailed general secretary of the GCPA, sided with the GCBDP in the split and became a member of the new party.<ref>{{cite web |author=Correspondent |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080506/jsp/siliguri/story_9231881.jsp |work=The Telegraph India |title=Bangshi’s old outfit back with ‘state’ map |date=6 May 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Special Correspondent |url=http://www.hindu.com/2005/09/27/stories/2005092703701300.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060409132350/http://www.hindu.com/2005/09/27/stories/2005092703701300.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 April 2006 |work=[[The Hindu]] |title=We will abide by statute, says Cooch Behar leader |date=27 September 2005}}</ref>

The GCBDP cooperates with the [[Kamtapur Progressive Party]], which strive for the creation of [[Kamtapur]] states respectively.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Chattopadhyay|first1=Suhrid Sankar|title=Unrest in the plains|journal=Frontline|date=May 24, 2008|volume= 25|issue= 11 |url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2511/stories/20080606251103100.htm}}</ref> The alliance between the three parties was made public in March 2008. The three parties have potentially overlapping territorial claims for their respective prospective states, but decided to leave those issues at side when initiating cooperation between the organisations.<ref>{{cite web |author=Correspondent |url=http://telegraphindia.com/1080328/jsp/frontpage/story_9066954.jsp |work=The Telegraph India |title=Gorkhaland demand finds allies in plains |date=28 March 2008 }}</ref>

In June 2008, the GCBDP organised a fast-unto-death [[hunger strike]], demanding the release of Bangshibadan Barman and 55 other followers of the party (who had been arrested at a 2005 GCPA meeting). The fast was however called off by the party on June 9, 2008, after talks with senior administration officials.<ref>{{cite web |author=Correspondent |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080610/jsp/siliguri/story_9387966.jsp |work=The Telegraph India |title=Cooch Behar fast off |date=10 June 2008}}</ref>

In the [[2009 Indian general election|2009 Lok Sabha election]], the GCBDP launched Bangshibadan Barman as its candidate in the [[Cooch Behar (Lok Sabha constituency)|Cooch Behar constituency]]. Barman became the first undertrial prisoner to file his nomination papers for a parliamentary election in West Bengal.<ref>{{cite web |author=ET Bureau |url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/First-undertrial-prisoner-in-West-Bengal-files-nomination/articleshow/4371044.cms |title=First undertrial prisoner in West Bengal files nomination |date=7 April 2009 |work=The Economic Times}}</ref> In the end, Barman obtained 37,226 votes (3.3% of the votes in the constituency).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/archiveofge2009/Stats/VOLI/25_ConstituencyWiseDetailedResult.pdf |title=Election Commission of India, General Elections, 2009 (15th LOK SABHA) : 25 - CONSTITUENCY WISE DETAILED RESULTS |publisher=Election Commission of India}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Political parties in West Bengal]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 2006]]
[[Category:Politics of Cooch Behar district]]
[[Category:2006 establishments in West Bengal]]

Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party - Revision history

>BrownHairedGirl at 15:01, 25 April 2021