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.
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| 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
