Rais root for `local' Darjeeling candidate

VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, 25 March 2019, Darjeeling: An association representing the Rai community said on Sunday said that it would ask the members to support "a local candidate from Darjeeling" in the Lok Sabha election.

The Rais are among the largest Gorkha communities in the hills. The Kirati Khambu Rai Sanskritik Sansthan (KKRSS), which roots for the "local" candidate, claims it has 2.5 lakh voters in the Darjeeling hills and the Terai.

The KKRSS did not seek support for any particular candidate in the Darjeeling parliamentary seat. Tara Rai, the president of the KKRSS, said: "We would want our members to support a local candidate from the hills. Through the local candidate, we want to take forward the demand for tribal status for 11 hill communities." The KKRSS has 1,873 units across the hills and the Terai. "Total number of people with us are approximately 4.5 lakh, who include 2.5 lakh voters," said its general secretary Binita Khambu Rai. "Since our association is community-based, we cannot appeal to our members to vote for a particular candidate. However, we would like to appeal to them to cast their votes," said Binita.

Deep Raj Rai, the chairman of the West Bengal KhambuRai Development Board, has also extended support to the Trinamul-Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (Binay) candidate, Amar Singh Rai..