Overall peaceful polling in Darjeeling, Raju Bista demands repolling in Chopra 73.64% in Darj Constituency

EOI, DARJEELING / SILIGURI / KALIMPONG, APRIL 26, 2024 : Polling was overall peaceful in the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency on Friday. About 74 percent of the votes were cast. BJP candidate Raju Bista, however, demanded repolling in the Chopra assembly segment. According to the Election Commission, a total of 82 complaints were lodged in the Darjeeling constituency.

The polling percentage was higher in the four plains segments of Siliguri, Matigara – Naxalbari, Phansidewa and Chopra than in the three hill segments of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong. Till 6.30 p.m. the Kalimpong assembly segment recorded 65.85 percent polling, Darjeeling 66.45 percent, Kurseong 67.67 percent, Matigara – Naxalbari 78.51 percent, Siliguri 75.45 percent, Phansidewa 84.11 percent and Chopra 77.46 percent. The overall percentage in the parliamentary constituency was 73.64. 

“Elections in the hills have always been peaceful. This year too we voted for our respective candidates to make the hills a better place to live in,” Jessica Rai, an employee in a multinational company said in Darjeeling after casting her vote. In Kalimpong, voting began at 7 a.m. after mock poll which was conducted at 5.30 p.m. People queued in the polling booths since the morning to cast their votes. All the booths in Kalimpong had Central Reserve Police Force personnel providing security, CCTV cameras were also installed in each booth. 

District Election Officer Balasubramaniam T visited the booths to ensure peaceful and smooth conduct of the elections. Addressing a news conference after the polls, the District Magistrate said that the election was conducted peacefully and smoothly. He said he had been working hard to ensure a smooth and peaceful conduct of the election for many days and the result was encouraging. He said in the morning there was a problem with some of the machines in the mock poll, but polling continued smoothly after the machines were changed. 

The number of voters in the Kalimpong assembly segment this year is 218,098. The number of male voters is 107,589 and the number of female voters 110,509. The number of new voters is 5843. A booth for the disabled was set up in the Treasury Building premises while a model booth was set up in the Girls High School. Out of the total of 288 booths, women polling personnel conducted voting in 25 booths.

Voting concluded peacefully in Terai belt of Darjeeling parliamentary constituency. There were some complaints of false voting, clashes between Trinamool Congress and BJP supporters, violations of the model code of conduct and other disputes. In some booths people had to wait in long queues because of faulty EVMs. Elderly people waited in queues despite the scorching heat to cast their votes. The new voters turned out in large numbers with great enthusiasm, saying they had voted to build a better nation by choosing the right candidate.

Trinamool Congress candidates shouted “Go Back” slogans at BJP candidate Raju Bista at Phansidewa when Bista went there to take stock of the process of voting. They said Bista had not visited the area even once and now he had arrived on the day of voting. In Bagdogra two incidents of false voting were reported, one at Upper Bagdogra Kedarnath School and the other at Subhamaya High School. Pushpa Sharma lodged a written complaint at Bagdogra police station that she had gone to the polling booth to find that her vote had already been cast by another woman. There was also tension at Matigara after Trinamool congress and BJP supporters clashed over complaints of false voting and violations of the model code of conduct.

In Siliguri there were a few sporadic incidents involving BJP and Trinamool supporters. At ward no. 28 there was some tension when BJP workers thronged within 100 metres of a polling booth, wearing T-shirts with a picture of Narendra Modi and shouting ‘Jai Sri Ram.’ BJP candidate Raju Bista was surrounded by Trinamool supporters when he went near the booth. There was also tension at the booth at the Hindi High School premises when Raju Bista went to the area in the evening. Trinamool supporters alleged that he was accompanied with outsiders. A large police force was deployed in the area. In TikiaPara there was tension after altercations between the Trinamool Congress and Central forces. Trinamool candidate Gopal Lama cast his vote in Siliguri and told newspersons that the voting process was peaceful. He thanked voters for the support.

Raju Bista asked all to vote for better India and the protection of democratic rights. He said the polling agents of his party were not allowed to enter in many booths in the Islampur and Chopra area. “People have voted in large numbers. The election process and atmosphere has been positive. I am sad to report, however, that we have received massive complaints of rigging in the Chopra Assembly Constituency. Some reports of rigging from parts of hill regions have also come in. We are compiling data, and we will be approaching the Election Commission for repolling, with more Central forces deployed in the entire Chopra assembly segment,” Raju Bista said.

“Right from campaigning to voting, everything has been peaceful. This time the voters will vote consciously to bring change,” Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha President Anit Thapa said. Trinamool Congress candidate Gopal Lama thanked the people for maintaining peace during the polls. “We will win by a bigger margin this time. Voters are conscious. This election is not for development but for the nation and to make Narendra Modi Prime Minister again,” BJP MLA from Darjeeling Neeraj Zimba said. He is also the Gorkha National Liberation Front general secretary. The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha which is also supporting the BJP was also confident of victory, but with a lesser margin. “This election is very important for the hills. People have already made up their mind to vote for the BJP. However, the margin will be less than in the last election,” GJM President Bimal Gurung said.

The Hamro Party which is supporting Congress candidate Munish Tamang said people would vote for an alternative. “There is no basis for people to vote for the BJP or for the Trinamool Congress. Voters want an alternative which we are. Irrespective of the results, we will continue to work for the people,” Hamro Party President Ajoy Edwards said. “I will accept the mandate of the people and will continue to work for the people," BJP MLA of Kurseong B. P. Bajgain who is contesting as an independent said.