BJP in a spot over three Hill seat election candidature- GNLF protests selection; CPRM fields candidates; leaders criticise party

SNS, SILIGURI/ DARJEELING, 23 MARCH 21 : The BJP finally named its Assembly election candidates for the three important Hill seats, and as it did so today, it landed in a difficult situation, with strong protests from certain quarters, including its own party members and allies, and one party alliance partner immediately fielding its own candidates.

While the saffron camp named Neeraj Zimba, an outgoing MLA, for the Darjeeling constituency, Subha Pradhan, a turncoat, was selected for Kalimpong and another turncoat Bishnu Prasad Sharma (Bajgain) was fielded for the Kurseong seat.

Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), a major force in the Hills and a party that is in alliance with the BJP issued a statement, protesting the selection of the candidates. who all belong to the BJP camp. However, later in the evening, the Hill party was quick t o "alter" its statements and said it was okay with Mr Zimba's pick in Darjeeling, but that it still had reservations about the Kurseong and Kalimpong seats.

"Keeping in mind the agenda of the party and the (Gorkha) community's interests, the GNLF has again decided to support the BJP in the Assembly elections. While agreeing to the Darjeeling candidature, the party still has reservations on the candidature for the Kurseong and Darjeeling seats," a revised statement from the GNLF said.

"The party will clear its stand on this in a few days' time." it added.

In his first statement after the declaration of the BJP candidates, GNLF president Mann Ghisingh had said: ':.Keeping ties with the BJP intact. I strongly object to the selection of candidates for the Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong seats."

On the other hand, another ally of the BJP, the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist (CPRM) named its own candidates for the three Hill seats. The party named Kishore Pradhan for Kalimpong, Sunil Rai for Darjeeling and Arun Ghatani for Kurseong Maintaining that the "understanding" they had with the MP in the 2019 MP elections was valid till 2024 and that it still remained, CPRM president RB Rai said, "The BJP is at liberty at taking its own decisions and fielding candidates, as we are in an election alliance and not a political alliance. We have nothing to say about them fielding their own candidates."

On the Kalimpong seat, the BJP youth wing protested the candidature of Mr Pradhan, who had only recently switched sides from the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (Bimal Gurung faction) to the MP Youth wing members from Darjeeling shouted slogans against the party and demanded that Mr Pradhan be replaced with someone who had been working for the BJP for long. The youth wing also threatened not to vote for him if the BJP did not change the candidate.

In Darjeeling, the main contention stemmed from the fact that many GNLF supporters and even the common people had been hoping for party leader Ajoy Edwards to be chosen as the candidate.

Other GNLF leaders and even leaders from other parties, too expressed their displeasure at the BJP decision.

"My party workers, even in the grassroots level, are not happy with the candidates nominated by the BJP in the three Hill constituencies. GNLF president Mann Ghisingh had proposed the names of the candidates, but the BJP did not honour his proposal. As a result, the party president has convened a meeting to discuss the matter and adopt a resolution on it," party General Secretary Mahendra Chhetri said. "The GNLF has relations with the BJP, and at present, there is no plan to break the same," he added. ?

According to Jan Andalon Party (JAP) president Harka Bahadur Chettri, GNLF leader Ajoy Edwards was a better candidate for the Darjeeling segment. "Edwards also did a lot of development work for Darjeeling on his own. BJP leaders should have discussed the matter with the GNLF as an alliance partner. The BJP will gradually grab regional parties by using its leaders and imposing policies," he said.

"As there is no unity among other political parties in the Hills, the BJP can earn political dividends. As both the GJMM (Gurung faction) and (Binoy Tamang faction) fights each other, BJP takes the advantage," Dr Chettri said, adding, "People should not support the BJP as it has done nothing despite making promises since 2009."

Reacting to the BJP's choice of candidates for the region, from Darjeeling to Siliguri and English Bazaar to Alipurduar, Dr Krishnendu Dey, the co-convener of the BIP's doctors' cell in North Bengal, said: "BJP may lose many winnable seats due to the present system of selection of a candidate." A Siliguri resident, Dr Dey added, "The top leadership should have discussed the matter with both the state and district leadership before finalizing a candidature for a particular Assembly segment. I had applied to the party and expressed my desire to contest the Assembly polls from Siliguri on a BJP ticket. While I did not mind after the party's parliamentary board nominated another candidate, I could not gladly accept the way the candidates were nominated unilaterally."

According to him, this happens to be the main reason behind the resentment in some important seats. "It would have negative impact on ballot boxes in many winnable seats like Siliguri. Dedicated party leaders and workers as well as people are unhappy, finding no difference between the party following the party's policy to hire a political man to come to power. People were ready to vote for the BJP and its symbol, considering the candidate with a clean image," he said.

"We respect to our Darjeeling MP Raju Bista, we supported him in the last Lok Sabha elections. But what he has done to nominate a candidate here like a dictator is not appreciable. He even tried to nominate his candidate in the Matigara-Naxalbari seat, but failed to replace Anandamoy Barman, who is contesting there," Dr Dey added.