LEFT FRONT WINS SILIGURI MUNICIPAL CORPORATION ELECTIONS

3:02 PM

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TMC

The left front has come back from the brink to establish itself as the leading party in SMC elections. Undoing the TMC wave that has pretty much decimated opposition elsewhere, the Left Front has managed to win comfortably across the various wards it contested.

What is shocking is not the Left Front win but the dismal performance by BJP where from only a year ago, it had won in 22 of the wards during the MP elections. Back then the Left front had only won 3 seats.

Pic via - ilovesiliguri.com

As expected Congress did not perform well, and it is lucky to have won the 4 seats.

However the loss is a body blow to Minister Gautam Deb who will now have a lot to answer for. One almost wishes one were a fly when that dreaded Mamata-Gautam meeting happens.

Here is the final results.

LEFT FRONT: 23
TMC: 17
BJP: 2
CONGRESS: 4
Independent: 1

Source: TheDC

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Vote for BJP in SMC election says Bimal Gurung

9:15 AM

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SMC

The BJP has fielded Bimal Gurung to woo the Gorkha-heavy Siliguri wards, but some in the party are worried that the move may alienate other plains voters who are against the demand for Gorkhaland.

Bimal Gurung

A section of the BJP candidates, however, is hopeful of securing considerable votes, particularly in wards where there is a heavy presence of Gorkha population. Other candidates are apprehensive of losing support of the anti-Gorkhaland voters.

Siliguri votes on April 25.

Gurung held the meeting at the banquet hall of an amusement park in Dagapur, around 1km from here, today where he implored Gorkhas to vote for the BJP.

Around 200 people attended the meeting, which included party leaders and workers of Siliguri and around 10-odd BJP candidates.

The BJP has fielded candidates in 46 of the 47 wards.

Gurung said: "Since 2009, we have had an alliance with the BJP. This is why we are urging our party workers, supporters and in general all voters of the Gorkha community to support the BJP candidates at the civic polls of Siliguri."

On being told that the local BJP leaders here have said that the party is against the division of Bengal, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief said: "We very much have the agenda (for Gorkhaland) and I don't know what they (local BJP leaders) have said on this issue. On our part, we are supporting the BJP."

The last-minute plan of the BJP to bring in Gurung to consolidate the Gorkha vote, has been interpreted as an attempt to secure at least some of the seats in SMC, observers said.

The wards which have a strong Gorkha presence are 1, 2, 41, 42, 43, 45 and 46. More than 60,000 Gorkhas reside in Siliguri.

"It is true that the BJP had secured a lead in 22 wards of the SMC in the last Parliament polls, but the situation has changed now. It seems the party is trying to consolidate the Gorkha votes to get at least some of the seats. However, considering the strong anti-Gorkhaland sentiment of the town, it is hard to say whether the BJP will eventually gain. There is always a risk that anti-Gorkhaland voters might shun the BJP," an observer said.

Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri tried to make a distinction between the Morcha's demand in the hills and its campaign in the plains.

"The statehood issue will not figure in the civic polls. Here, we are urging people to vote for the BJP candidates over the issue of development. The BJP is there at the Centre and bringing the BJP in the SMC will expedite the development of Siliguri," said Giri, who was also present at the meeting.

Morcha leaders in the plains, while speaking about their support base, said they have a considerable number of followers in seven-eight wards of the SMC.

"In total, around 17 per cent of the total voters of SMC are Gorkhas. As far as our party's support base is concerned, we have our committee offices in seven wards of the SMC. In all these wards, the vote of Morcha workers and supporters and Gorkha voters in general, definitely matters in the civic poll," said Shankar Adhikari, the Siliguri subdivisional committee president of the Morcha.

BJP candidates present at the meeting also tried to clarify that the anti-Gorkhaland stand, favoured by many Siliguri residents, would not work against them.

"We are contesting the elections for the sake of development of Siliguri. The Morcha is our ally and it is natural that their supporters will support us," said Bidyut Majumdar, the BJP candidate contesting from ward 45.

"The separate state issue has nothing to do with the civic elections," he said.

Local BJP leaders, however, refrained from commenting on the meeting and insisted that the party does not want a partition of the state.

"We have categorically mentioned and want to reiterate that the BJP does not want any further partition of Bengal. People of Siliguri know this and are spontaneously supporting us," said Rathindra Bose, the Siliguri (organisational) district president of BJP.

"We have nothing to say about the meeting (by Gurung)," he added.

Source: Telegraph

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GJM extends "unconditional" support to BJP in Siliguri Municipal Corporation elections

10:48 PM

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Siliguri Municipal Corporation

Vivek Chhetri
The GJM (Gorkha Janmukti Morcha) today said it would not field any candidate for the Siliguri Municipal Corporation elections and would extend "unconditional" support to BJP nominees, a day after the hill party expressed its willingness to name "three to four candidates" who would contest under the BJP symbol.

Bimal Gurung

The BJP had announced most of its candidates for the 47 SMC wards on Saturday and Morcha chief Bimal Gurung's announcement yesterday had raised doubts about the list published by the national party.

Today, Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri said: "The party discussed the issue today and it has been decided that we will extend unconditional support to the BJP candidates in all 47 wards. The decision has been taken, as Morcha is a member of the NDA. We are not going to field our candidates for the SMC polls as said earlier."

Yesterday, Gurung had said at a party meeting: "We will select three or four candidates for the SMC polls. They will contest under the BJP flag."

Sources in the Morcha said the hill party was of the opinion that it would be better to support the BJP than to field its own candidates. "After the recent meeting with senior BJP leaders in Delhi, the party wants to send a positive message. Although the party had earlier decided to try and field its own candidate under the BJP symbol, it felt that in the long run, the decision to extend support would be better in strengthening the relation with the BJP," said a source in the Morcha.

The source said the primary reason for the party wanting to field its own candidate was the fact that names of Nepali-speaking candidates had not featured in the lists of Trinamul, the CPM and the Congress.

"Bimal Gurung's main concern was that Nepali-speaking candidates should also have been fielded in the SMC elections as there are pockets of the community in Siliguri," said the source. "But it was pointed out that the BJP had already fielded two Nepali-speaking candidates and the Morcha felt that there was no need in pushing for candidates and putting the BJP in an uncomfortable situation as the party had already finalised its list," the source added.

The BJP has fielded Tashi Dorjee Lama from ward 42 and Lalu Maya Chhetri from ward 43.

"Had the Morcha fielded its candidate in the SMC elections, there was a possibility that anti-BJP parties would rake up the statehood issue. In the SMC elections, the statehood issue would have put the BJP on the back foot. With the Morcha deciding not to contest the election directly, the issue will probably be subdued to some extent," said an observer.

Via: Telegraph

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GJM Support BJP in SMC Elections with Gorkhali candidates in two wards

8:44 AM

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SMC

GJM TO SUPPORT BJP IN SMC ELECTIONS - BJP DECLARES GORKHALI CANDIDATES IN TWO WARDS

The upcoming SMC ( Siliguri Municipal Corporation) election is going to be one of the most important elections as far as Gorkhaland statehood is concerned, yet the GJM has decided to play the ideal NDA partner role and support BJP, and is not going to contest the elections directly.

Pic Via: Himalaya Darpan shows BJP leaders releasing the name of the candidates

As a mark of respect towards GJM's decision to support them, the BJP taking cognizance of GJM's support and thus the support of Nepali people in the Siliguri Municipal Corporation area, have declared decided to filed two Gorkhali candidates who will be contesting on their tickets.
Given that none of the other political parties - TMC, Congress or CPI(M) have bothered to filed candidates with Gorkhali ethnicity in the upcoming SMC elections, many feel that Morcha's support may be decisive in helping BJP to win from wards, where there is significant Nepali population. There are 10 such wards.

The two candidates contesting on BJP ticket are likely to contest from Ward 41 and 43 which has a significantly high Gorkhali presence.

In GJM not contesting the SMC elections directly and allowing BJP to contest, experts see both tactical error, as well as strategic move.

One a prominent political observers from hills, Upendra said, "As I have repeatedly said in the past six months, GJM along with KPP and JMM (Dooars - John-Barla group) being NDA alliance partners should contest in at least 50% seats, as it will not only allow local political groups to reinforce their presence in Terai and Dooars region and will help in the 2016 elections... but it will also benefit us when it comes to Gorkhaland demand, as the more Councillors, Panchayat members and MLAs we have, the easier it will be for us to convince BJP to support Gorkhaland demand."
However, a Siliguri based GJM leader disagrees, and said, "for many in the plains Gorkhaland is an emotive issue and if GJM contests they may not vote for GJM or BJP either... people in Siliguri need change and a stable governance structure, which will ensure that growth and development in the region progresses rapidly and that can come when BJP have absolute majority... hence, we are going to fulfill our dharma by helping BJP to win as many seats as possible."

The fact that BJP has decided to field Gorkhali candidates, has provided both a sense of inclusion and hope for the Gorkhalis living in the Terai region. However, it needs to be seen, how this will influence voting pattern in the SMC elections

Via - TheDC

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Siliguri Police Lathicharged Hunger Strikers - Community People Retaliate

9:27 PM

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Siliguri Municipal Corporation

Tension prevailed in Siliguri as Police lathicharged and open fired at a group of protesters who were on a hunger strike against the proposed construction of electrical crematorium in Siliguri's Ramghat area in West Bengal. The angry community people retaliated by putting a police vehicle on fire and ransacking another one.

Tension prevailed in Siliguri as Police lathicharged and open fired at a group of protesters.
People retaliated by putting a police vehicle on fire 

The clash began when the Siliguri police force tried to chase the protesters away from the site. Siliguri police commissionerate forces and Rapid Action Force (RAF) have been deployed against the backdrop of tensions erupted in the town.

The locals have been protesting against the proposal to construct an electrical crematorium in ward-5 of Ramghat area. They are opposing the construction because they think it would cause pollution in the area.

According to an earlier report in The Statesman, when the North Bengal Development Department (NBDD) officials arrived to start the construction work, locals – mostly women – gathered around the site to stall their work.

"We did not prevent them from doing their job, but we staged a silent protest against the project. We will not let the government set up the crematorium because it will cause pollution and harm the people living in the area. If they go ahead with the project, we will launch a vigorous movement," a local resident, Gauri Mitra, said.?

After the continued protests, West Bengal development minister Gautam Deb had said that there may be a shift in the location of construction site. The state government has sent proposals for similar projects in other parts, including Alipurduar, Balurghat, Mainaguri, Dhupguri and Bagdogra, as well.

DC

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Siliguri Carnival to be organized by Municipal Corporation in December

10:37 AM

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Siliguri Municipal Corporation

North Bengal development minister Gautam Deb today said the Siliguri Municipal Corporation will organise a week-long cultural extravaganza, called Siliguri Carnival, in the last week of December this year.

North Bengal development minister Gautam Deb

“The SMC will organise Siliguri Carnival in association with my department and the SJDA. It would be held to exhibit Siliguri as a cosmopolitan place where people of different caste, creed, religion and culture are living together for years. We will seek participation from folk groups, NGOs, government departments, cultural organisations, artisans and people from different walks of life,” Deb said.

“The town would be decorated and illuminated. Music would be played in prominent crossings and streets to create an ambience of a festival during Christmas and New Year. There would be cultural programmes, handicraft show and a series of other events. After the carnival, the next edition the of Uttarbanga Utsav would be held,” he added.

Source:Telegraph

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Online service for birth, death and construction documents in Siliguri

11:18 AM

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technology news

Siliguri: Online facilities will be introduced from next week for people to avail themselves of birth and death certificates from the Siliguri Municipal Corporation and land documents required for sanction to construct buildings from the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority.

Deb speaks to the media in
Siliguri on Thursday
. Picture by Kundan Yolmo

Once the online facilities are launched, people won’t have to stand in queues at SMC and SJDA offices to obtain the documents.

North Bengal development minister Gautam Deb today said the SMC would launch the online facility for birth and death certificates on August 28. “The SJDA will start the online service to issue Land Use and Compatibility Certificate on August 25. Thousands of people would be benefited by the introduction of the online services,” Deb told a news conference in his office here this afternoon.

As of now, birth and death certificates are issued from designated counters at SMC office. Anybody who needs the certificates have to go to the SMC office, fill up forms and submit the same with the officials along with necessary documents and fees. The entire process can be done online now.

However, sources, said the SMC and SJDA would continue to issue the certificates manually even after the online facility was launched.

The Land Use and Compatibility Certificate is a document required to be submitted to municipalities or panchayats by anyone who wants to construct a building on his plot. The local bodies sanction the building plans only when the land certificates issued by the SJDA are submitted.

The sources said hyperlinks would be incorporated in the respective websites of the SMC and SJDA to issue the certificates. “Once forms are filled up and the fees paid online, the birth and death certificates can be issued immediately. In the case of land certificates, some time would be needed for the SJDA to verify the documents. Once the papers are verified, the SJDA will release the land certificate. The advantage of the online facility is that land owners don’t have to queue up at the SJDA office,” said a source.

Deb is the chairman of the SJDA.

The minister said a high-level meeting would be held at Nabanna on August 26 to discuss the financial state of the SMC and explore options to obtain more funds for the civic body. “State municipal affairs minister, the principal secretary of his department and the SMC administrators will be present at the meeting along with me.”

He held a meeting with the three administrators of the SMC and the civic officials today.

Deb said the chief minister would be in Siliguri in the first week of September to inaugurate the renovated Dinabandhu Mancha and the new facilities in Surya Sen Park.

Dinabandhu Mancha is an auditorium-cum-exhibition hall run by the state information and cultural affairs department. The north Bengal development department had started the repair and the renovation of the auditorium earlier this year. New audio-visual facilities and an elevator have been installed at the building and air-conditioning has been improved.

“Once the auditorium is reopened, the information and cultural affairs department will screen films for at least 10 days a month. The building will be available for meetings and conferences for the rest of the days,” said the minister.

He also announced that the construction of the SMC’s new building would commence shortly.

“We had sanctioned Rs 2 crore to the SMC for the construction of the new building. The building plan is ready and it would cost something between Rs 12 crore and Rs 14 crore. More funds will be allocated in the due course of time,” he said.

For better disposal of garbage across Siliguri, Deb said, five compactors — sophisticated vehicles for carrying and dumping garbage —would be purchased by the SMC.

“A sum of Rs 8.26 crore will be spent for buying the compactors which would be parked at five different locations in town. From the first week of next month, rubbish will be removed from the town during night hours,” he said.

Ahead of the festival season, LED lights will be installed along Hill Cart Road, Sevoke Road and Bidhan Road in Siliguri, the minister said.

Source: Telegraph

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Siliguri Municipal Corporation to run by Board of officials before election

10:18 AM

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Siliguri Municipal Corporation

Siliguri, Aug. 17: A four-member administrative board or committee will take over Siliguri Municipal Corporation from next week till the civic polls are held, civic sources said today.

Siliguri Municipal Corporation

The body, comprising officials from different government departments and agencies, might be announced next week.

“The board or committee is likely to have an initial tenure of six months. Later, depending on circumstances, the option to extend its tenure might be exercised by the government,” a senior administrative official said.

If the civic election is held before six months, the body would be dissolved.

The SMC is running without an elected head since May 20 and the offices of the deputy mayor and members mayor-in-councils, are also vacant. Following the resignation of mayor Gangotri Datta on May 20 and removal of the deputy mayor and the MMICs from the posts, the municipal affairs department had issued a directive to the commissioner of the SMC to hold mayoral elections on June 14.

“But none of the 47 councillors filed nominations,” said a source.

On July 30, the municipal affairs department issued a notice seeking representations on why the board should not be dissolved. But no representation was submitted in the next 10 days. In such a situation, the state government had the option of appointing an administrator to run the civic body.

“But it has been decided that instead of deputing an individual as an administrator, an administrative committee or board would be formed. All the members would be government officials,” the source in the SMC said.

According to sources, the members are likely to be R. Vimala, the CEO of Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority, Dipankar Piplai, the assistant secretary of north Bengal development department, P.T. Sherpa, the additional district magistrate of Siliguri, and S.W. Bhutia, the commissioner of SMC.

“In all likelihood, a formal announcement of the new board would be made by next week,” said an official.

Other political parties criticised the government’s move to form a body or a committee to run the municipality.

“An administrator or a board cannot be the replacement for an elected board. Trinamul is worried about losing the civic polls. This is why it is delaying the elections. We want immediate polls and we condemn the decision of forming a body,” Rathindra Bose, the BJP president of Siliguri, said.

The BJP had got leads in several urban Assembly segments under the SMC.

The SMC polls were supposed to be held next month. But the state wants to hold it either in November or February next year.

The CPM’s Asok Bhattacharya, a former municipal affairs minister, said: “The state is not ready for polls as it is fearing the worst results.”

Trinamul SMC councillor and secretary general of the party, Darjeeling district, Krishna Paul, said: “We are not scared. We are ready for the polls whenever they are held.”

Source: Telegraph

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BJM + GJM + KPP + JMM to Contest Siliguri Municipal Corporation Elections Together

11:03 AM

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Siliguri Municipal Corporation

Eyes set on the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) and Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad (SMP) polls, the BJP state president, Rahul Sinha, held a meeting with allies here today.

BJM + GJM + KPP + JMM (Dooars) to Contest SMC Elections Together

"We have decided that we would jointly contest all the polls until 2016. Our aim is to oust the Trinamul Congress-led state government in 2016, and simultaneously, we would continue our fight against the CPI-M and the Congress," said Mr Sinha.

Representatives of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM), Kamtapur People's Party, and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha attended the meeting.

GJMM general secretary Roshan Giri said they would jointly contest the elections and formulate strategies for that in the next meeting.

The BJP had taken leads in 21 of the 47 wards under the SMC in the Darjeeling Lok Sabha polls, while the Trinamul Congress had managed to take leads in 22 wards, and the CPI-M was ahead in four wards.

Source: SNS,  pic DT

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Drinking Water crisis in Siliguri

9:16 AM

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Siliguri Municipal Corporation

The water supply department of Siliguri Municipal Corporation has failed to provide safe drinking water to a number of wards since the past few days. The situation in 14 wards under the civic body is alarming as not a single drop of drinking water is being supplied. Municipality officials have cited an overhauling of the water treatment plant as the reason for the suspension in supplies. But the outdated equipment and poor maintenance are the main reasons for the disruption in supplies, sources have said.

Drinking Water crisis in Siliguri

An unprecedented rise in demand for safe drinking water has gone up given the 48 per cent growth in the population of Siliguri, the change in climate and the construction of high-rise buildings in a rampant manner.

Amid the absence of elected representatives to man the SMC board following its recent dissolution, other employees have been found trying to shirk from the responsibility of restoring water supplies to several wards.

PHE sources said there is no water reservoir at the Fulbari Water Treatment plant and the department is fully dependent on water channeled from the Teesta canal. The area has hardly received proper rainfall over the past few days, while the construction of several low-dam projects along the Teesta’s course and the disappearance of the ice cap in the Jemu glacier (the point of origin of the Teesta) have further worsened the situation to reduce the water level of the river and subsequently of the canal. As the water level has gone below the minimum intake point, the plant is not getting adequate water for treatment and supply.

Former SMC mayor Gangotri Dutta last month warned there is every possibility about the corporation not being in a position to supply water at all. She added a project report on modernizing and repairing the Fulbari plant was sent to Kolkata for approval and sanctioning of funds, but there was no response till the time she resigned.

North Bengal University bio-technology department head Prof Ranadhir Chakraborty has said Siliguri residents will soon face an acute shortage of safe drinking water given the illegal constructions of buildings that use up huge amounts of underground water with the help of bore wells.

Source: EOI

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BJP to field candidates in all seats for Siliguri Municipal Corporation election

10:18 AM

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Trinamool Congress

Siliguri, May 29: The BJP has decided to field candidates in all seats in the Siliguri Municipal Corporation and the Mahakuma Parishad elections, bouyed by its good showing in the town and its surrounding areas in the Lok Sabha polls.

BJP to field candidates in all seats for Siliguri Municipal
Corporation election

Biswapriya Roy Choudhury, the general secretary of the state BJP, said today: “We have decided to field candidates in each of the 47 wards of the SMC and also in all seats in the three-tier panchayat polls to be held in Siliguri subdivision (for the Mahakuma Parishad).”

Giving the reasons for such a move, he said: “The parliamentary poll results across Bengal, particularly in the Darjeeling seat, have largely encouraged our workers and supporters. Hundreds of people and workers of other parties are joining the BJP every day and many prominent leaders are contacting us and expressing willingness to be a part of the party.”

The BJP had earlier said some Trinamul and KPP leaders wanted to join the party, but there is no independent confirmation of such a drift yet in the region.

In the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections, in three of the four plains Assembly segments — Siliguri, Phansidewa and Matigara-Naxalbari — the BJP led Trinamul, owing to a large population of Hindi-speaking trader residents in the area.

Trinamul’s Lok Sabha candidate Bhaichung Bhutia managed a lead of just 651 votes in the plains, which was because the party led only in the Chopra Assembly segment.

The BJP’s S.S. Ahluwalia won the seat by nearly 2 lakh votes, given the support of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in the hills and the Modi wave sweeping the country then.

Of the three Assembly segments, the Siliguri town area is scheduled for municipal polls in September this year.

The Matigara-Naxalbari and Phansidewa Assembly segments comprise the panchayat areas of rural Siliguri where the Mahakuma Parishad elections are expected in June.

Roy Choudhury told a news conference this afternoon that he had been appointed observer for both the SMC and Mahakuma Parishad polls.

He said that in the SMC area, the BJP was ahead in 21 of the 47 wards as according to the Lok Sabha poll results.

In the Siliguri Assembly segment, which covers 33 of 47 wards, the BJP had led by 7,526 votes, and in Matigara-Naxalbari and in Phansidewa, it had led by 9,677 and 4,911 votes, respectively.

Narendra Modi himself had campaigned for the BJP in Siliguri. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, wary of the Hindi-speaking vote going to the BJP, had requested in Hindi to plains residents that they must not divide the vote in the region.

The BJP has won only one seat in the 2004 SMC polls. In the SMP area, BJP has managed to win a few panchayat seats.

“In 2009, we had fielded candidates in 30 of 47 wards in the SMC but could not win any seat. Earlier, in 2004, we had candidates in 15-odd seats and could win only one,” said Arun Sarkar, a national council member of BJP who was also the sole BJP councillor in SMC from 2004 to 2009 when the Left was in power.

“In the SMP polls held so far since 1989, we have pitted a few candidates in all three tiers, out of which only a handful of panchayat seats came to us. This year, however, the situation is different,” the senior leader said.

“We have already initiated the process to build organisation across Siliguri subdivision and intend to field candidates in all seats in both the polls.”

“Considering the margin of the BJP in all three Assembly segments of plains (Siliguri, Matigara-Naxalbari and Phansidewa) in the parliamentary polls, we are expecting excellent results in both urban and rural polls in Siliguri subdivision,” Sarkar added.

In Siliguri subdivision, party insiders said the induction of leaders and workers from other parties into the BJP had started but not at a fast pace like in Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar.

“There is a basic difference in the political scene of Darjeeling with other districts. Trinamul has won three Lok Sabha seats in Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar and thus those in Opposition, particularly the Congress and Left, are being cornered and joining BJP. In Darjeeling district, Trinamul lacks a base in the hills while in the plains, the BJP is ahead in terms of votes,” BJP sources said.

“Workers and supporters of political parties other than Trinamul who are living across Siliguri subdivision, whether in the city or in rural areas, are not feeling cornered because of such results. This is why there is not much of an inflow into BJP. It would, however, surely increase once the rural and urban poll campaigns are kicked off in the subdivision,” they added.

Source: Telegraph

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