Darjeeling: Independent candidate Mahendra P Lama, who held his 150th public meeting today in Darjeeling town, was brimming with exuberance saying he has already won the election given the immense support people showed towards him with during his campaigns, both in the hills and the plains.
Addressing a sizeable gathering at the Motor Stand after a rally, the well-known academician and founder of the Darjeeling-Dooars United
Development Foundation (DDUDF) said, “We have already won although voting is still two days away. The April 17 voting process will just be a formality. This confidence stems from the people’s support to me during my campaign, which was noticeable even at the time I floated the DDUDF and interacted with them.”
Political observers believe the independent candidate has a very low chance of winning, but he could play a spoilsport to other contenders in the fray, particularly for the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.
“It is more or less acknowledged that Lama will not win the election. But he will play a significant part in dividing votes, as people disgruntled with the GJM, or those who want to see a new face, are expected to side with Lama who is looked upon as an intellectual and an individual of integrity. It must be remembered that this election is multi-coloured and the GJM could see chunks of votes being gobbled up by its rivals,” a senior resident observed.
Regional parties including the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist and the All India Gorkha League are rallying behind Lama,
with support also coming from the Gorkhaland Rastriya Nirman Morcha, a party led by Dawa Pakhrin, a GNLF dissident leader, and some social organisations.
The independent candidate today limited his speech to finding faults with the current leaders of the hills and their ineptitude in placing forward pertinent and logical arguments while demanding a separate state including their promises to work for the society people if elected to Parliament.
“I have interacted with people during the course of the campaigning period and found them depressed and fed up with the present political situation. People want change and a focused leadership capable of making their aspiration into reality. If elected, my job will be to take forward the statehood demand to its rightful conclusion and to facilitate unprecedented development of the Darjeeling hills as a legislator,” said Lama.
He also said agitations for a separate state in future by the DDUDF would be focused in Delhi.
“From now there will two agitations, one for a separate state and other for education. It is useless agitating here in the hills.”
The DDUDF president also cautioned the audience against the sinister and divisive policy being stoked by the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government.
“She comes to Darjeeling and says Bengal will not be divided, but fails to explain why. We co-existed in harmony all these years. But now the chief minister is sowing seeds of disharmony in the hills. We are not against a community getting additional facilities and perks, but they should not come without other communities also being embraced,” noted Lama, referring to the chief minister forming the Lepcha and Tamang boards and giving similar assurances to other communities here.
The DDUDF and its allies will stage a road show from Sonada to Darjeeling town in the morning in the last day of the election campaign, sources have said.
Source: EOI
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| DDUDF Mahendra P Lama 150th public meeting in Darjeeling |
Development Foundation (DDUDF) said, “We have already won although voting is still two days away. The April 17 voting process will just be a formality. This confidence stems from the people’s support to me during my campaign, which was noticeable even at the time I floated the DDUDF and interacted with them.”
Political observers believe the independent candidate has a very low chance of winning, but he could play a spoilsport to other contenders in the fray, particularly for the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.
“It is more or less acknowledged that Lama will not win the election. But he will play a significant part in dividing votes, as people disgruntled with the GJM, or those who want to see a new face, are expected to side with Lama who is looked upon as an intellectual and an individual of integrity. It must be remembered that this election is multi-coloured and the GJM could see chunks of votes being gobbled up by its rivals,” a senior resident observed.
Regional parties including the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist and the All India Gorkha League are rallying behind Lama,
with support also coming from the Gorkhaland Rastriya Nirman Morcha, a party led by Dawa Pakhrin, a GNLF dissident leader, and some social organisations.
The independent candidate today limited his speech to finding faults with the current leaders of the hills and their ineptitude in placing forward pertinent and logical arguments while demanding a separate state including their promises to work for the society people if elected to Parliament.
“I have interacted with people during the course of the campaigning period and found them depressed and fed up with the present political situation. People want change and a focused leadership capable of making their aspiration into reality. If elected, my job will be to take forward the statehood demand to its rightful conclusion and to facilitate unprecedented development of the Darjeeling hills as a legislator,” said Lama.
He also said agitations for a separate state in future by the DDUDF would be focused in Delhi.
“From now there will two agitations, one for a separate state and other for education. It is useless agitating here in the hills.”
The DDUDF president also cautioned the audience against the sinister and divisive policy being stoked by the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government.
“She comes to Darjeeling and says Bengal will not be divided, but fails to explain why. We co-existed in harmony all these years. But now the chief minister is sowing seeds of disharmony in the hills. We are not against a community getting additional facilities and perks, but they should not come without other communities also being embraced,” noted Lama, referring to the chief minister forming the Lepcha and Tamang boards and giving similar assurances to other communities here.
The DDUDF and its allies will stage a road show from Sonada to Darjeeling town in the morning in the last day of the election campaign, sources have said.
Source: EOI
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