In a first move of its kind, Trinamul leaders of Dabgram-Fulbari Assembly seat filed a police complaint against BJP MLA Shikha Chatterjee for backing the demand for a separate north Bengal state.

Chatterjee defeated Trinamul’s Gautam Deb this time.

“She (Chatterjee) has openly supported another partition of Bengal. Such a statement, we believe, can foment tension and pose problems for the elected government of the state. That is why we filed a complaint with the police against her. Appropriate legal steps should be taken against her for backing such a demand,” said Debasis Pramanik, head of Trinamul’s Dabgram-Fulbari block committee.

Some BJP leaders have demanded a separate state or a Union territory status for north Bengal, but the party has said it is not its official stand.

However, many in the BJP, including Alipurduar MP John Barla, are underscoring the demand in a consistent manner.

“Our leaders, including party’s state president Dilip Ghosh, have unequivocally asserted that this is not our party’s stand. We don’t want any division of Bengal,” said a BJP leader in Siliguri. He added Ghosh would visit the region next week and meet party leaders workers in Siliguri and Alipurduar. ““He will speak with the MLAs and MPs who have spoken on the demand. Workers and leaders would be specifically instructed to abstain from making any comment on the issue. We will reach out to the people to reassert that our party does not support this demand.”