Darjeeling: Though speculations around seat-sharing in the BJP camp have somewhat thawed with the party announcing candidates for the three hill seats on Thursday evening, talks of another front—sans TMC or BJP—continue to gather momentum, with the potential to shape the political future of the Darjeeling Hills.
The BJP on Thursday announced Noman Rai, president of the youth wing of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, as its candidate from Darjeeling. In Kurseong, the party has fielded Sonam Lama, while in Kalimpong, it has nominated former Indian hockey captain Bharat Chettri.
In the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, the BJP and its allies had bagged the Darjeeling and Kurseong seats but lost Kalimpong to the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM, then known as the GJM–Tamang faction). The BJP alliance comprised the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists and others.
On March 15, following the announcement of the election schedule, the BGPM—currently in power in the Hills and an ally of the Trinamool Congress—was quick to name its candidates: Ruden Sada Lepcha for Kalimpong, Vijay Kumar Rai for Darjeeling and Amar Lama for Kurseong.
Despite multiple meetings with alliance partners over seat-sharing, the BJP had kept its cards close to its chest. Thursday’s announcements, however, point to the party’s intent to expand its footprint in the hills of North Bengal, where its organisational base has been limited, feel observers. It also appears to have sidelined the GNLF, instead accommodating the GJM. The GNLF, founded by Subash Ghising, has been delisted by the Election Commission. Reports of dissent have already surfaced within the party, particularly in Kurseong, with the announcement of candidates.
“I am very happy to have been given a BJP ticket. I will definitely emerge victorious and work towards our main goal—separation from Bengal,” said Noman Rai, talking to the Millennium Post.
However, the most interesting factor in this election could be the stance of the Indian Gorkha Janshakti Front (IGJF), which is steadily building a support base in the hills. Ajoy Edwards, convenor of the IGJF, has been stressing “regional politics” sans the TMC and BJP. The party is yet to make an official announcement.
The CPI(M) on Thursday echoed similar sentiments. Saman Pathak, addressing a press conference in Darjeeling, said: “We are keeping a close watch. If there is a regional alliance minus the TMC and BJP, we could lend support; else, we will back our own candidates.”
Political observers believe a triangular contest could make the elections more interesting with a split in votes.