‘With many contenders for BJP ticket in Darjeeling, saffron brigade could be staring at divided house’

Darjeeling: With a number of contenders vying for the BJP ticket from the Darjeeling Parliamentary constituency, the saffron brigade could be staring at a divided house. Political observers opine that it is not going to be the usual smooth sailing for the BJP as in the past. A number of factors add up to this.

Despite announcing candidates for most of the constituencies of North Bengal, the BJP is yet to announce the name for the Darjeeling constituency. Interestingly, there are a number of contenders for the Darjeeling seat, including the outgoing MP Raju Bista and retired CRPF Commandant GT Lepcha.

Though it is evident former foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla is also a strong contender, he himself has not come out clear about this.

To add to this, BJP MLA from Kurseong, Bishnu Prasad Sharma has declared that he would contest if the BJP failed to field a “Bhumiputra” (child of the soil) from the

Darjeeling constituency who would then work for the main aspiration of the Gorkhas — a separate state.

This has put BJP in a sticky wicket, not being able to come out clear in their support for the separate state demand.

“We find Raju Bista as the best candidate. He has been visible and strong with a connection with the masses. Our support and recommendation is with Raju Bista. We hope Delhi will respond positively to this,” stated Kalyan Dewan, President, BJP Darjeeling (Hill) district committee.

Former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla has been engaged in public relation programme with the masses. He has been reaching out to different sections of society including youths, tea garden workers through his “Darjeeling Welfare Society.” Cutouts and festoons announcing his philanthropic activities are prominently visible in Darjeeling as well as in Siliguri.

Shringla claims ancestry from the Darjeeling Hills both from his maternal and paternal side. However, the former diplomat has not come clear and preferred to label his recent activity as “Payback to Darjeeling as per the will of the people.”

Meanwhile, Gyalpo Tshering Lepcha who was born in Takling village in the Darjeeling sub-division belonged to the Special Protection Group (SPG) of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He is supposed to have links with many of BJP’s top brass in the national capital.

All eyes are on Prime Minister Modi’s public address in SIliguri on March 9, the day when the BJP is scheduled to make public the second list of candidates.

BJP has been winning the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat since 2009. The party had then fielded heavy weight candidate Jaswant Singh from this seat, backed by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM.) Darjeeling was one among the two seats won by the BJP in Bengal in the 2009 Parliamentary election. Again in 2014, SS Ahluwalia from the BJP, backed by the GJM bagged the Darjeeling seat.

In 2019, backed by hill regional parties Raju Bista had got a thumping victory, winning with over 4 lakh votes from the Darjeeling seat. The BJP had then assured a “Permanent Political Solution” to the Gorkha impasse along with including the left out 11 Gorkha sub communities in the Scheduled Tribe list, in their election manifesto. However both the assurances are yet to be translated into action.

Despite the victory in three consecutive terms, the BJP does not have a strong support base in the Hills and has to depend on regional alliance partners. Having not been able to deliver on any of the commitments, it is now to be seen which way the alliance parties go. Overall it will definitely not be a cakewalk for the saffron brigade in Darjeeling this election opine political pundits.