Amid protest from Binoy Tamang, Congress nominates Munish Tamang for Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat

Binoy Tamang said when asked for his comment about the candidature of Munish Tamang. I will not support and help Dr Munish Tamang in any situation. I strongly condemn Ajoy Edwards and Munish Tamang for adopting the wrong policies

EOI, DARJEELING, APRIL 2, 2024 : With the Congress on Tuesday announcing Munish Tamang as its candidate for the Darjeeling LokSabha seat and West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary and former Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Chairman Binoy Tamang opposing the decision, the grand old party of India will be facing an uneven pitch in the election to the hill seat.

Munish Tamang, who is originally from Kalimpong, is a professor of Delhi University and a close friend of Hamro Party President Ajoy Edwards. He resigned as national president of Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh on March 28 and joined the Congress in Delhi. 

Munish Tamang is a professor at Delhi University. He had been associated with organizations championing the case of Gorkhaland. 

"Ajoy Edwards – led Hamro Party is now a member of the INDIA bloc.“I still stand by the promise I made on March 29,” Binoy Tamang said when asked for his comment about the candidature of Munish Tamang. I will not support and help Dr Munish Tamang in any situation. I strongly condemn Ajoy Edwards and Munish Tamang for adopting the wrong policies.

”Binoy Tamang alleged that Munish Tamang had indulged in bargaining to get the party ticket. They (Munish and Edwards) misguided the party high command for their personal gains. They have insulted all the Congressmen of the Darjeeling hills and Bengal.” 

Sources privy to inside information said the name of Binoy Tamang had been proposed by a section in the party as the candidate for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat and was in contention. Munish Tamang is expected to file his nomination papers on April 4. “I will come to Darjeeling to file my nomination. 

I will meet Binoyji and seek his support to campaign for me. As for my candidature, it is the decision of the party high command in Delhi, ”Munish said over the phone from Delhi. 

Hamro Party President Ajoy Edwards said Munish was the right candidate to represent the Gorkha community in Delhi in the event of his winning the election. 

“We feel that he will be able to properly present our issues in Parliament. I want to ask the alliance parties in the INDIA bloc to fight together against the untruths being propagated by the BJP which has failed to fulfill its promises even after 15 years. 

”The Hamro Party President urged Binoy Tamang to work for the greater cause of the community. “We want constitutional justice for the Gorkha community in the country. The Congress has a history towards the Darjeeling hills,” he said.
Earlier, under Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Edwards had said it was the Congress that had given recognition to the Nepal language, the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council and the GTA.

“I have a good working relationship with Binoy daju. Whatever internal fight he has is within the party. I can only appeal to him that we should move forward together, keeping the misunderstandings aside and work together for our community, ”Edwards said. (With a report from Prashant Acharya in Siliguri)