Rural polls in Darjeeling & Kalimpong after 23 yrs

Amitava Banerjee, MP, 8 July 2023, Darjeeling : After a wait of 23 years it is time for the Hills of Darjeeling and Kalimpong to elect their Panchayat representatives. For many, in the rural belt of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) it will be a first-time taste as they cast their votes for the Gram Panchayat (GP) and the Panchayat Samity (PS). 

This time the Panchayat polls here are more of a two-sided affair, with Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) and TMC on one side and the United Gorkha Manch (UGM), an alliance of Opposition parties led by the BJP on the other. Several Independents are also contesting. 

However, no formal alliance between the BGPM and TMC has been announced. While issues like drinking water, road connectivity, rural health services, peace, rural tourism and solid waste management in rural areas form BGPM’s poll plank, the UGM has been playing the cards of widespread corruption and nepotism in the GTA. 

To woo voters they have harped on corruption-free rural governance. The UGM alleges that the BGPM is involved in rampant corruption in the GTA, especially related to teacher recruitment and drinking water supply project. The UGM has been propagating that BGPM is an ally of the TMC that opposes the separate state demand. 

They have subtly capitalised on ‘Gorkhaland’ with the BJP MP Raju Bista assuring of tripartite talks in Delhi immediately after the polls. The BJPM has capitalised on their being in power in the GTA and dubbing GTA as the supervisory body over the Panchayat. 

They also pointed fingers at the BJP, alleging that the saffron brigade aims at doing away with regionalism and regional politics. BJP MP Raju Bista’s earlier statement of stopping MGNREGA funds in the Hills was used against him. The BGPM stated that the BJP has failed to live up to all of its commitments. They have not given anything to the Hills and have instead robbed the Hills of MGMNREGA funds, it said.

 Bista has been trying to control the damage assuring the return of the MGNREGA dues complete with interest. Meanwhile, the UGM alliance itself has been half-hearted with trouble brewing from the very first day over seat sharing. 

There have been allegations from the constituent parties of BJP’s high-handedness allegedly forcing constituent party members to contest under the BJP lotus symbol. Bimal Gurung, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha President, despite being a part of UGM labelled BJP as a “dinosaur” trying to gobble up regional parties. 

He stated that the life of the alliance was till the rural polls. Despite having no organisation in the rural belts, the BJP effectively spread its tentacles, ridding piggyback on the constituent parties, claim political observers. The runup to the polls had its highs and lows. 

There were allegations against the BGPM of influencing voters by offering money and in many cases intimidating both candidates and voters. There were counter allegations made by BJPM against Bista election campaigning complete with a pilot car, hooter and beacon- a clear violation of the model code of conduct. 

Amidst all this, BJP MLA from Darjeeling Neeraj Zimba, went public offering money to anyone who dared spit and slap SP Sharma, a BGPM member and GTA Public Relation Officer for tearing up the UGM manifesto. Counter fatwas were also issued by the BGPM offering cash to anyone slapping BJP candidates in public. 

However, was no major incidents of violence reported from the GTA area. “There are 27 sensitive booths in Darjeeling with 10 companies of Central forces deployed. CCTV arrangements are there in all polling stations,” stated S Ponnambalam, District Magistrate, Darjeeling. There are 5 companies of CAPF deployed in the Kalimpong district. There are no sensitive booths in Kalimpong. 

“We have no past incidents of poll-related violence in the Kalimpong district,” added R Vimala, DM, Kalimpong. 

The Panchayat system in the Hills is unique with a two-tier system in place, as opposed to the three-tier prevalent in the remaining parts of the country. 

In the Darjeeling Hills, the last Panchayat election was held in 2000 with the then GNLF party under Subash Ghising objecting to Panchayat polls in 2005 alleging that the Panchayat was diluting the powers of the DGHC. Since then Panchayat elections have not been held in the Hills.

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/rural-polls-in-darjeeling-kalimpong-after-23-yrs-524884