Lok Sabha Election 2024: Trinamool Congress To Release Manifesto in Five Languages

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is poised to unveil its manifesto in five languages, a notable expansion that includes the inclusion of the Santal language 'Oi Chiki' and Nepalese. Currently holding power in West Bengal, the TMC ranks as the fourth largest party in the Lok Sabha, trailing behind the ruling BJP, Congress, and DMK. In West Bengal, the TMC faces a three-way contest against the BJP and the Left-Congress alliance.

Reports indicate that the party's manifesto for the upcoming elections will be available in Oi Chiki, the script used for the Santali language, as well as Nepalese, in addition to Hindi, English, Bengali, and Urdu. In West Bengal, where 5.5 percent of the population identifies as tribal, Santals make up nearly 51.8 percent of this demographic.

More than half of the total ST population of the state is concentrated in southern districts of Medinipur, Purulia, and Bardhaman and Jalpaiguri in north. Bankura, Malda, Uttar Dinajpur and Dakshin Dinajpur districts also have sizable ST population.

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The state of West Bengal also boasts a substantial population of Gorkhas, who hold sway in the Darjeeling district. According to the 2011 Census, there were a total of 1,161,807 speakers of various Nepali languages in West Bengal. Gorkhas represent 46 percent of the population in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts, and approximately seven percent in Jalpaiguri.

TMC has never won the Darjeeling seat, which was with the CPI(M) till 2004, and with Congress between 2004 and 2009. It has been with the BJP ever since.