Even though BJP leader Jaswant Singh was last elected MP from Darjeeling constituency given his heavyweight stature in the saffron party, the general election this time around is likely to revolve around the issue of son-of-the-soil.
Singh failed miserably to address the issue of statehood in Parliament, much to the frustration of the hill populace. At the same time, he did not usher in any notable development schemes to his constituency. Owing to this bitter experience, the GJM is apparently not for supporting any candidate who is not native to Darjeeling.
Following reports of the TMC likely to field former footballer Bhaichung Bhutia from Darjeeling, the hill unit of the party had voiced its demand for a son-of-the-soil as the ideal choice of candidate. GJM spokesperson Harkabahadur Chettri had also echoed the same lines. It may be mentioned here that similar opinions are being expressed by various political and apolitical organisations here.
Gorkha Rashtri Congress president Nima Tamang and DDUDF founder Dr. Mahendra P Lama are two such sons-of-the-soil who have already started campaigning for the polls. Bimal Gurung, Roshan Giri, Harkabahadur Chettri, Swaraj Thapa, Munish Tamang and Bhupendra Lepcha are also figuring in the list of son-of-the-soil. While eminent journalist Swaraj Thapa’s name is being speculated as a probable GJM candidate, he has been refuting the reports all along as rumours. It can be said that many within the GJM are of the view that Bimal Gurung and Roshan Giri can become the party’s candidate, while the fact that many others are keen to see Dr. HB Chettri as the LS candidate cannot be sidelined either.
The GJM’s troubleshooter, Chettri, if given the ticket by his party, is competent of persuading Mamata Banerjee to ensure he bags votes from the plains also, feel observers. The chances of Chettri competing as a TMC candidate with the support of the GJM cannot be nullified either. Owing to his heavyweight stature within the GJM and his pleasant relation with the TMC ranks, speculations are also doing the rounds about Chettri standing on a TMC ticket, but he has not spoken on the matter so far.
Meanwhile, Bhupendra Lepcha, an active leader of the Lepcha Rights Movement, is also being seen as a probable TMC candidate from Darjeeling. Reliable sources said youth Lepcha community leader Bhupendra is also keen to bag a TMC ticket. The sources also said unconfirmed reports say that apart from remaining busy in overseeing the Lepcha Board’s functions, Bhupendra also played a major role in arranging meetings of various community leaders with the CM. It is believed that he has succeeded in winning over the confidence of the TMC chief. In Bhupendra, the TMC can find the twin benefits of satisfying its hill unit’s demand for a son-of-the-soil, and also bag votes of the Lepcha community and in the process simplify the vote equations of other communities demanding development boards and ST status.
At the same time, the regular visits to the hills of late by Delhi’s Motilal Nehru College professor Munish Tamang are also being looked upon as closely related to the upcoming polls. Even though Tamang has remained a passive member in the BGP and GTF, he has displayed great energy in the apolitical organisation, ‘Jan Aawaz’. He has been campaigning in the hills by raising the issues of statehood and development. On being recently asked in Kalimpong about his possible candidature for the polls, Tamang did not rule out the possibility.
Whatever be the political equations in the general elections in Darjeeling constituency, they are bound to be defined by the son-of-the-soil factor. The issue is also certain to add more fervour into the polls this time around.
Source: EOI
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| Darjeeling seeks son-of-the-soil for Lok Sabha election 2014 |
Following reports of the TMC likely to field former footballer Bhaichung Bhutia from Darjeeling, the hill unit of the party had voiced its demand for a son-of-the-soil as the ideal choice of candidate. GJM spokesperson Harkabahadur Chettri had also echoed the same lines. It may be mentioned here that similar opinions are being expressed by various political and apolitical organisations here.
Gorkha Rashtri Congress president Nima Tamang and DDUDF founder Dr. Mahendra P Lama are two such sons-of-the-soil who have already started campaigning for the polls. Bimal Gurung, Roshan Giri, Harkabahadur Chettri, Swaraj Thapa, Munish Tamang and Bhupendra Lepcha are also figuring in the list of son-of-the-soil. While eminent journalist Swaraj Thapa’s name is being speculated as a probable GJM candidate, he has been refuting the reports all along as rumours. It can be said that many within the GJM are of the view that Bimal Gurung and Roshan Giri can become the party’s candidate, while the fact that many others are keen to see Dr. HB Chettri as the LS candidate cannot be sidelined either.
The GJM’s troubleshooter, Chettri, if given the ticket by his party, is competent of persuading Mamata Banerjee to ensure he bags votes from the plains also, feel observers. The chances of Chettri competing as a TMC candidate with the support of the GJM cannot be nullified either. Owing to his heavyweight stature within the GJM and his pleasant relation with the TMC ranks, speculations are also doing the rounds about Chettri standing on a TMC ticket, but he has not spoken on the matter so far.
Meanwhile, Bhupendra Lepcha, an active leader of the Lepcha Rights Movement, is also being seen as a probable TMC candidate from Darjeeling. Reliable sources said youth Lepcha community leader Bhupendra is also keen to bag a TMC ticket. The sources also said unconfirmed reports say that apart from remaining busy in overseeing the Lepcha Board’s functions, Bhupendra also played a major role in arranging meetings of various community leaders with the CM. It is believed that he has succeeded in winning over the confidence of the TMC chief. In Bhupendra, the TMC can find the twin benefits of satisfying its hill unit’s demand for a son-of-the-soil, and also bag votes of the Lepcha community and in the process simplify the vote equations of other communities demanding development boards and ST status.
At the same time, the regular visits to the hills of late by Delhi’s Motilal Nehru College professor Munish Tamang are also being looked upon as closely related to the upcoming polls. Even though Tamang has remained a passive member in the BGP and GTF, he has displayed great energy in the apolitical organisation, ‘Jan Aawaz’. He has been campaigning in the hills by raising the issues of statehood and development. On being recently asked in Kalimpong about his possible candidature for the polls, Tamang did not rule out the possibility.
Whatever be the political equations in the general elections in Darjeeling constituency, they are bound to be defined by the son-of-the-soil factor. The issue is also certain to add more fervour into the polls this time around.
Source: EOI
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