Baichung slams SDF, ruling party hits back

SNS, Gangtok, 13 March 2014: Former Indian football team captain Baichung Bhutia, TMC contestant from Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat, has accused the ruling party in his home state, Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), of attempting to sabotage his chances of a win. Mr Bhutia told this correspondent today SDF is trying to woo some Hill Trinamul Congress functionaries and promising them big sums of money should they contest the polls as independent candidates to spite his prospects.

“SDF leaders are offering money to a couple of Hill TMC functionaries for standing against me, so that they can divide my votes," Mr Bhutia said over telephone from Darjeeling.

“I wonder why SDF is doing this to me. I tried my best to set up a football academy in my home state despite offers from other state governments, but the Sikkim government did not give me land for the academy. Other sports persons in Sikkim also did not get the land they needed to set up such institutions,” he said.

The SDF cleared Mr Bhutia’s allegations are false and baseless.

“We considered Baichung a good man, so we extended warm wishes to him for the Lok Sabha elections, but he is now falsely accusing our party,”SDF spokesperson Bhim Dahal told at a press conference.