West Bengal municipal election 2022 results: TMC sweeps Cooch Behar

Trinamool candidates won in Cooch Behar, Mathabhanga, Haldibari, Mekhligunj and Tufanngunj municipalities in the district

The Trinamool Congress has swept the 2022 municipal election in Cooch Behar district, winning all the municipalities here.

The Trinamool Congress candidates scored victories in Cooch Behar, Mathabhanga, Haldibari, Mekhligunj and Tufanngunj constituencies

Background

Cooch Behar in the Barak Valley is rich in heritage. At one time the borders of the kings of Cooch Behar extended from undivided Bengal to a part of Assam. Cooch Behar later emerged as a tributary state under the British. As a result, Victorian-era architects were involved in the architecture of Cooch Behar. That legacy is still visible today. Officially, Cooch Behar municipality was created on December 16, 1945. 

The previous mandate 

The last municipal elections in Cooch Behar were held in 2015. Out of the 20 wards in Cooch Behar municipality, 10 wards were occupied by Trinamool Congress while the Left had 6 wards. Independent candidates won 2 wards. Voting was supposed to take place in this municipality two years ago. But the elections had to be postponed following the Coronavirus outbreak. The Cooch Behar municipality was being run by the municipal administrator for the last two years. 

The 2022 contest and issues

A total of 72 candidates are contesting in the Cooch Behar pre-poll 2022. People living in this municipality say that although some five-star hotels have been built in the city, there is still no comprehensive initiative to attract tourists to Cooch Behar. There is also a need to expand the city's roads. The old city of Cooch Behar has been declared a heritage site. The need for a new city of Cooch Behar has been in consideration for long but continues to remain on paper.