The West Bengal Legislative Assembly today passed a resolution proposing that the State’s name be changed to ‘Bangla’ in Bengali or ‘Bengal’ in English.
The resolution was passed by a voice vote with the Opposition parties, including the Left Front, Congress and the BJP, opposing the same.
The resolution was moved by the State Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Partha Chatterjee.
According to the West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, the name ‘Bangla’ has a historical and cultural significance.
“It is the urge of the people,” she said at a press conference referring to the change in name of the State.
With its new name, the State will move up the queue in national meetings. The Chief Minister has often complained that she rarely got a chance to speak in these meetings because ‘West Bengal’ came at the end of a list of 29 states.
The matter will now be sent to the Centre for being placed before Parliament, Banerjee added.
West Bengal had earlier made a failed attempt to rename the state as ‘Paschimbanga’.