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'''Kamtapur Progressive Party''' (now merged with [[Kamtapur People's Party]]) was a [[political party]] in northern [[West Bengal]], [[India]]. Atul Roy was the president of the party.<ref name="tel">{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090414/jsp/siliguri/story_10818192.jsp |title=The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) | North Bengal & Sikkim | Kamtapur parties pledge support for BJP |publisher=Telegraphindia.com |date=2009-04-14 |accessdate=2014-02-13}}</ref> The party was formed after a split from the [[Kamtapur People's Party]], ahead of the [[2006 West Bengal state assembly election|2006 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/2006/04/23/stories/2006042303701300.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060522201622/http://www.hindu.com/2006/04/23/stories/2006042303701300.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2006-05-22 |title=National : The hills are alive with the sounds of secessionism |date=2006-04-23|work=[[The Hindu]] |accessdate=2014-02-13}}</ref> The party demanded the formation of a [[Kamtapur]] state.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/politics/west-bengal-faces-another-blockade-this-time-for-kamtapur-state_10064531.html |title=West Bengal faces another blockade, this time for Kamtapur state - Thaindian News |publisher=Thaindian.com |date=2008-06-25 |accessdate=2014-02-13}}</ref> KPP was a part of the [[National Democratic Alliance (India)|National Democratic Alliance]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://election.rediff.com/report/2009/may/02/loksabhapoll-nda-gets-a-new-ally.htm |title=NDA gets one more ally - Lok Sabha Election news - Rediff.com |publisher=Election.rediff.com |date=2009-05-02 |accessdate=2014-02-13}}</ref>

==Statehood issue==
On the issue of the formation of a [[Kamtapur]] state, the Kamtapur Progressive Party and the Kamtapur People's Party had similar positions. The relation between the two parties was not very good however, as both blamed each other for the split in Kamtapur People's Party. Also, they diverged on the issue of support to [[Gorkha Janmukti Morcha]] (GJM). The Kamtapur Progressive Party was supportive of the GJM, whilst the Kamtapur People's Party opposed it. The Kamtapur People's Party rejected including lands they considered as belonging to Kamtapuris to be included in a [[Gorkhaland]] state. The Kamtapur Progressive Party on the other hand was less vocal on the exact delimitations between prospective Gorkhaland and Kamtapur states.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/2009/04/24/stories/2009042450611500.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090427132644/http://www.hindu.com/2009/04/24/stories/2009042450611500.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-04-27 |title=Front Page : The demand for Statehood in north Bengal |date=2009-04-24 |work=[[The Hindu]] |accessdate=2014-02-13}}</ref> The GJM and Kamtapur Progressive Party were cooperating with the [[Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party]], which was spearheading the campaign for a 'Greater Cooch Behar' state.

The Kamtapur Progressive Party also campaigned for [[Languages with official status in India|constitutional recognition]] for the [[Rajbongshi (language)|Kamtapuri language]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.darjeelingtimes.com/news/News/GJMM-to-announce-poll-stand-on-10-Mar.html |title=GJMM to announce poll stand on 10 Mar; KPP shutdown in four districts; Darjeeling seat on NCP mind |publisher=Darjeelingtimes.com |date= |accessdate=2014-02-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923212716/http://www.darjeelingtimes.com/news/News/GJMM-to-announce-poll-stand-on-10-Mar.html |archive-date=2015-09-23 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==2009 election==
In mid-April 2009, ahead of the [[2009 Indian general election|Lok Sabha election]], Kamtapur Progressive Party announced that it would support the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] candidate [[Jaswant Singh]] in the [[Darjeeling (Lok Sabha constituency)|Darjeeling constituency]]. The announcement was made after the BJP had pledged support for the central KPP demand of forming a 'Kamtapur state' out of the northern districts of West Bengal. Subsequently, the [[Nationalist Congress Party]] candidate in Darjeeling (who had been supported by the KPP), Shanta Kumar Singha, withdrew his candidature.<ref name="tel"/><ref>{{cite web|author=Debasis Sarkar, ET Bureau Apr 15, 2009, 07.03pm IST |url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4406279.cms |title=Kamtapur parties throw weight behind Jaswant - Economic Times |publisher=Economictimes.indiatimes.com |date=2009-04-15 |accessdate=2014-02-13}}</ref>

==Merger with Kamtapur People's Party==
In October 2010, Atul Roy and Nikhil Roy (the then president of Kamtapur People's Party) decided to bury the hatchet and Atul merged his party with Kamtapur People's Party.<ref>[http://www.telegraphindia.com/1101014/jsp/siliguri/story_13055491.jsp Factions Merge for Kamtapur Fight]</ref> There is only one Kamtapur People's Party today and Kamtapur Progressive Party ceased to exist. Atul Roy is the president of the party and Nikhil Roy is the general secretary.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://canvaspix.wordpress.com/2010/07/21/quest/ A documentary on the demand of statehood of Kamtapur]
{{Indian political parties}}
[[Category:2010 disestablishments in India]]
[[Category:Defunct political parties in West Bengal]]
[[Category:Former member parties of the National Democratic Alliance]]
[[Category:Political parties disestablished in 2010]]
[[Category:Political parties with year of disestablishment missing]]
[[Category:Political parties with year of establishment missing]]
{{India-party-stub}}

Kamtapur Progressive Party - Revision history

->GreenC bot at 17:46, 25 October 2021