Brisk nomination filing for panchayat poll on the last day in Darjeeling

EOI, DARJEELING, JUNE 16, 2023 : On the last day of filing of nomination on Friday for the two tier panchayat election in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration area, 2226 candidates submitted their papers to contest the gram panchayat and panchayat samity election on July 8.

In the hills, the panchayat election is being held after 23 years. The last election for gram panchayats was held in 2000 even though provision was there for a two-tier election.

According to reports issued by the district administration, for election to the501 gram panchayat seats 1734 candidates have filed their nomination, while for the156 panchayat samity seats 492 candidates have submitted their papers in the Darjeeling district under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration area.

On expected lines, the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha has fielded the most candidates. So far the BGPM has fielded 601 and 172 candidates for the gram panchayat and panchayat samity, respectively. BGPM central committee spokesperson, Keshavraj Pokharel said his party would easily win the election. 

"We are getting reports that in as many as 10 to 12 gram panchayats our candidates have won uncontested because other political parties have failed to field any one. This shows the people's faith in us. As we move ahead for the election we will see such cases in many gram panchayats and panchayat samities,"he said.

The Trinamool Congress which has a tacit understanding with the BGPM has fielded 26 candidates for gram panchayat seats and 13 candidates for panchayat samiti seats. Surprisingly, the BJP has fielded 211 candidates for the gram panchayats and 61 for the panchayat samities, the second highest. 

The Hamro Party has fielded 208 and 45candidates for the gram panchayat and panchayat samiti, respectively. 

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has fielded 65 in the gram panchayat and 18 in the panchayat samiti, the Gorkha National Liberation Front has fielded 63 in the gram panchayat and 15 in the panchayat samity, the CPIM has given 17 candidates in gram panchayats and two in panchayat samities, the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists has fielded 12 in the gram panchayats and two in panchayat samities while the Jan Andolan Party has two faces for the gram panchayat.

The BJP is leading a coalition comprising the GNLF, GJM, CPRM and HP against the BGPM and Trinamool. 

"Our fight is against corruption, scam and nepotism. The BGPM that is presently in helm of the GTA has the blessings of the Trinamool Congress-led state government," said HP president Ajoy Edwards. 

With the panchayat election being held after over two decades and people now more politically aware, 529 independents have filed nomination for the gram panchayat and 164 for the panchayat samities.

In the nine blocks under the GTA area, the Darjeeling district with five blocks and 387,952 voters has 70 gram panchayats and five panchayat samities and the Kalimpong district with four blocks and 179,932 voters has 42 gram panchayats and 4 panchayat samities