KOLKATA: West Bengal assembly Monday unanimously passed a resolution against calls for division of the state, with the house witnessing a rare show of TMC-BJP bonhomie after CM Mamata Banerjee agreed to opposition politician Suvendu Adhikari’s suggestion to rephrase the proposal to one seeking “development of an undivided West Bengal“,. Monday, in fact, was a day of many firsts: BJP legislators lent their voice to the state anthem, ‘Banglar Mati, Banglar Jol’; and Mamata referred to Adhikari by his first name for the first time since his defection in 2020.
The day began with acrimony as usual, after parliamentary affairs minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay tabled the resolution against any move to divide Bengal.The resolution came in the backdrop of multiple BJP politicians – junior Union minister Sukanta Majumdar, MP Nishikant Dubey and MLA Gouri Shankar Ghosh – seeking special packages and UT or statehood status for several north Bengal districts, citing issues ranging from lack of funding to changing religious demography.
Adhikari criticised the proposal, terming it “political” and “a party leaflet”. He pointed out that Majumdar’s proposal to the PM did not mention the division of Bengal at all. He asked state govt to modify the phrasing and “bring a proposal focused on the development of an undivided West Bengal”. Picking up the cue, Mamata instructed Chattopadhyay to incorporate Adhikari’s suggestion. The modified proposal was passed with support from both Trinamool and BJP legislators, with TMC MLAs chanting “Joy Bangla”, and those from BJP responding with “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”.
The rare show of unity culminated in BJP legislators joining Trinamool lawmakers in singing the state anthem. Before Monday, BJP never recognised the anthem.