‘Recently-concluded polls an uphill task...’

Amitava Banerjee, MP, 6 June 2024, Darjeeling: It had been an uphill task for the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), the lone ally of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the Hills of the Darjeeling Constituency. 

Though they lost the battle to the BJP, they managed to bring down the difference in the winning margin. 

While Raju Bista, BJP candidate, had won by a margin of 302228 votes in 2019, this time the margin was of 1,78,525 votes (including the postal ballot). 

The Darjeeling Lok Sabha Constituency consists of 7 Assembly segments, including Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong in the Hills and Siliguri, Matigara-Naxalbari, Phansidewa and Chopra in the plains. 

While the BJP had won Darjeeling, Kurseong, Siliguri, Matigara-Naxalbari and Phansidewa in the last Assembly election, the TMC had won Chopra and the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha, then named the GJM (Binoy faction) had won the Kalimpong seat. 

This Lok Sabha election in the Kalimpong segment, Raju Bista of the BJP secured 77,745 votes and Gopal Lama secured 54,113 votes. 

In the Darjeeling segment, Bista got 87,252 votes and Lama 55,907. In the Kurseong segment, Bista secured 93,981 while Lama secured 55,474 votes. 

In the Hills, Raju Bista secured a total of 2,58,978 votes while Lama secured 1,65,494 votes. Bista led by 93,484 votes in the Hills. 

In the plains in the Matigara-Naxalbari segment, Bista secured 1,54,140 votes while Lama got 70,185 votes. 

In the Siliguri segment, Bista got 1,14,570 votes and Lama secured 48,561 votes. 

In the Phansidewa segment, Bista got 1,06,491 votes while Lama secured 81,273 votes. 

In the Chopra segment, Bista got 41,145 votes while Lama secured 1,33,276 votes. 

Raju Bista secured a total of 4,16,346 votes in the plains while Lama got 3,33,295 votes. 

Bista led with a margin of 83,051 votes. 

In the postal ballot, Raju Bista got 4,007 votes and Lama secured 2,017 votes. 

In total Raju Bista got 6,79,331 votes and Lama 5,00,806 votes, Bista won by 1,78,525 votes. 

While the TMC was backed by the BGPM in the constituency, the BJP was backed by the Gorkha National Liberation Front, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, CPRM and other hill political outfits. 

Despite having sway over the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, the Panchayat and the Hill Municipalities, the reason for the defeat is being critically analysed by the BGPM leadership. 

“It was definitely an uphill task for us and we gave our best shot. While we were the lone alliance partner of the TMC, the BJP had the support of different Hill parties that have their vote shares. 

All this went to the BJP kitty. Despite all odds, we retained our votes and even managed to lessen the winning margin of the BJP considerably,” stated Keshav Raj Pokhrel, BGPM spokesperson. 

The spokesperson said that the dent was mainly in the urban areas. “The urban votes went down considerably for us. 

The BJP and allies had launched a propaganda showing TMC as the antagonists of the 2017 Gorkhaland agitation. 

With most of our people watching national media, BJP’s propaganda of crossing the 400 mark had an impact in the 1st and 2nd phase of polls. 

Darjeeling went to polls in the 2nd phase. The Congress candidate even could not make a sizable dent which would have then gone to our favour,” added Pokhrel. 

Munish Tamang of the Congress backed by the Hamro Party and Left Front secured 83374. 

Interesting 18021 votes also went to NOTA. 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/recently-concluded-polls-an-uphill-task-566771