Vote Boycott in Sittong, Darjeeling : Bista meets people of Sittong

SNS, SILIGURI, 5 JULY 2023 : Residents of Lower Sittong under the jurisdiction of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) have decided to boycott two tier Panchayat polls on the issue of bad condition of their road.

Interestingly, the village is located under a constituency from where GTA Chief Executive Anit Thapa is representing.

On receiving the information, the Darjeeling MP Raju Bista took opportunity to meet the people of the area as he was scheduled to campaign at Bada Sittong today.

At a time when the GTA Chief Anit Thapa and his party Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) members have been expecting better results to capture civic boards in rural belt in the Hills, the BJP leader Raju Bista, being an MP who is also leading United Alliance, today asked the residents of Lower Sittong to forget their stand 'No Road No Vote', requested them to exercise their democratic rights and vote for good candidate.

"Sittong is represented by GTA Chief Anit Thapa, and yet such is t he condition of development here in his own constituency. Yet the shameless BGPM leaders don't stop claiming they will develop our Darjeeling and Kalimpong MP Raju Bista said.

'Actually, they are not competent enough to know how development is actually done. Their only interest is to skim off money, take seven percent cut money from all projects, build roads which can be dug using bare hands," Mr Bista said during campaigning there today.

Mr Bista also assured them that this road would be properly constructed, as soon as his people form Panchayat here. When asked to comment BJP's national spokesperson Mr Bista said: "I request the people across our region to vote for clean and honest candidates, those with vision for development, those who are capable. Else, every village will end up with conditions much worse than here."

In support of the BJP and United Alliance candidates today Mr Bista campaigned in the Sittong-Shelpu region comprising Sittong, Latpanchar, Shelpu, Mahaldiram, Shivakhola region in Darjeeling and stated this region is home to some of the most beautiful birding spots in India. It is also a home to rare flora and fauna of our region including rare birds, butterflies, and medicinal plants.

"Being a serene beautiful place with clean air and greenery all around, Sittong, Shelphu and nearby places attract tourists in a large number. However, the awful condition of the road here is symptomatic of the mis-governance this region had to suffer under GTA and Trinamul led state government."