Hill BJP upbeat over nomination of Raju Bista in Darjeeling

Extending best wishes to Raju Bista, President of Mirik Mandal Committee of the BJP Amar Rana said on Tuesday said Bista would win the Darjeeling seat again with a record margin

Yawan Gurung, EOI, MIRIK, MARCH 26, 2024 : BJP leaders in the hills are upbeat after the renomination of sitting M. P. Raju Bista as the party candidate for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat in the ensuing parliamentary election.

Extending best wishes to Raju Bista, President of Mirik Mandal Committee of the BJP Amar Rana said on Tuesday said Bista would win the Darjeeling seat again with a record margin. “Raju Bista knows the problems of the hills well. Only he can handle these with ease and is an eligible and deserving candidate,” BJP leaders from Mirik Amar Rana, Nipchan Golay and M. K. Zimba said. 

The permanent political problem of the hills will be solved soon. Bista has talked about Gorkhas issued several times in Parliament. Among 543 members in Parliament, Bista is the only M. P. who had highlighted the issues of Gorkhas. Yes, we have not got any permanent solution till date. We are only given assurances. We have to accept that. But what matters is Bista has at least brought our issues in Parliament several times. He has done a lot for us in the past five years and now we should once again give him a chance so that he could do something for us for the coming five years. He has said that this is also the resolution of BJP. The Centre has told us that they have understood the sentiments of the Gorkhas. 

They have said that only the BJP can act to solve our permanent political problems. BJP workers all over the hills are ready to ensure victory of Raju Bista with a large number of votes.

”After getting the party ticket for the Darjeeling seat, Raju Bista expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP National President J. P. Nadda for reposing faith in him and nominating him for the second time. 

“I am most grateful to the people of Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency for their blessings, trust and unflinching support. I am indebted to BJP Darjeeling and BJP Siliguri leaders and office bearers who have stood with me shoulder to shoulder and worked hand in hand for transforming our region. I will continue to build upon the progress we've already made in transforming our region, and realizing the aspirations of our people.

”However, the renomination of Raju Bista from the Darjeeling seat stirred discontent, too, with BJP MLA of Kurseong Bishnu Prasad Sharma expressing dissatisfaction over the nomination of an “outsider ”for the hills. “We wanted a son of the soil from the seat. But the party again decided to give him a ticket. The people will give a reply,” he said. Bishhnu Prasad Sharma later on Monday announced that he would contest as an independent candidate in Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat against party nominee Raju Bista. 

Speaking to the PTI over the phone, Sharma said he would remain within the But while contesting as an independent. The party could take any disciplinary action it desired, but he did not intend to severe ties with the party on his own.

”Bista is not my candidate. We do not want an outsider. It is unfortunate that the BJP could not find any son of the soil,” he said. “Such candidates do not raise the real issue of the people. This is a slap on the face of of 17 lakh voters of Darjeeling hills.”

BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said: “The decision to renominate Raju Bista is final and the party is unified over the matter. Bista will win the polls with a bigger margin.” (With inputs from PTI report from Kolkata)