CPRM for own candidate if consensus eludes parties

SNS, 9 March 2019, Darjeeling: The Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist (CPRM) women's wing today said that the party would field its own candidate for the Darjeeling seat for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections it a consensus candidate eludes the opposition parties here. The wing also said that party president RB Rai could most likely be their candidate.

As it to project him as an able candidate, the women's wing held an indoor programme to mark International Women's Day in their party office, where they also felicitated Mr Rai. Political observers said the prograrnme could be part of the party's exercise to let people know that Mr Rai was a good poll candidate.

"There have been constant pressure from mostly the rural areas that the candidate should have had an experience in the parliament, along with him/her being sincere towards the community. Our party has RB Rai, who has both these qualities. Presently, different parties have been working to look for a consensus candidate, but if that doe snot work out in the end, we will go ahead and field our own candidate,- the women's wing president, Bindhiya Dukpa, said.

In the past, Mr Rai has become both the Rajya Sabha MP and the Lok Sabha MP when he was with the CPI-M.

It may be mentioned here that 16 opposition parties have grouped together as the All Party Unity for Protection of Democratic Right (APUDR), and have been trying to zero in on a consensus candidate, a 'son of the soil.'

Also, the National Gorkhaland Committee (NGC), which is also working to find such a candidate, recently held a meeting with parties from the Hills and decided to have consensus among them for the upcoming elections.The CPRM is part of both the bodies. Political parties like the BJP, TMC and the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha Binoy Tamang camp are, however, not in the grouping.

"Political outfits here working to find a consensus candidate are also working to have a backup plan just in case they fail to field a consensus candidate,- a political observer said.

On the other hand, the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha women's wing also organized a programme to mark International Women's Day at the Gorkha Dukha Niwarak Sammelan Hall where they felicitated women who have excelled in the fields of social work, journalism, music and literature. They had 22 such names to be felicitated, among whom most of them attended today.