Congress to field Munish Tamang, well known Gorkha teacher as its candidate for Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat

Munish has been national president of pan-India Bharatiya Gorkha Parisang, post that he relinquished after Congress nominated him as Lok Sabha candidate

 Munish Tamang : File picture

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, 03.04.24 : The Congress has decided to field Munish Tamang, a well-known face among the Indian Gorkhas, as its candidate for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat.

Munish, a resident of Kalimpong district, is a professor of English at Motilal Nehru College under Delhi University. He had also been the national president of the pan-India Bharatiya Gorkha Parisang, a post that he relinquished after the Congress nominated him as the Lok Sabha candidate.

“I humbly accept the responsibilities bestowed on me by the party (the Congress) and will strive to work for the people who are at the moment suffering from two poles — of corruption and suppressions at one end, and lies in the other end — and are looking for an alternative in politics. And this is what we bring,” Munish told The Telegraph after he was nominated, hitting out at Trinamul and the BJP without taking names.

The Congress candidate will primarily be locking horns with sitting MP and BJP candidate Raju Bista and Trinamul's Gopal Lama. While Bista is getting the support of the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) and Bimal Gurung's Gorkha Janmukti Party, Lama has the backing of the Anit Thapa-led Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), which currently rules the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).

The professor joined the Congress on March 28.

He is being supported by the Ajoy Edwards-led Hamro Party, the principal Opposition in the GTA.

Edwards had joined the INDIA bloc on March 28 as well.

However, not everyone in the Congress or the Hamro Party are happy with Munish's candidature.

Binay Tamang, general secretary of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) and the “in-charge of the hills”, however, said he would not support Munish’s candidature.

“I will not support and help Dr Munish Tamang in any situation. I strongly condemn Ajoy Edwards and Munish Tamang for insulting all the Congressmen of Darjeeling Hills and Bengal by adopting wrong policies,” said Binay in a written statement.

Sources said that many in the Hamro Party had wanted Edwards to extend support to the BJP.

On Tuesday, six Hamro Party councillors of Darjeeling municipality joined the BJP.

The councillors are Pemila Dorjee Bhutia from ward 16, Priya Dikshit from ward 30, Sandhya Thapa from ward 11, Sujata Shankar from ward 9, Sushma Lama from ward 12 and Aruna Rai from ward 6.

The councillors joined the party in the presence of BJP candidate Raju Bista.

Bista will file his nomination on Wednesday and a large contingent of supports is likely to accompany him, BJP sources said. Munish will file his nominations on Thursday, Congress sources said.

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post