BJP Faces Internal Strife Over Darjeeling Lok Sabha Seat: Bista vs. Sharma vs. Shringla
There seems to be a dispute inside the BJP on the candidate for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat, with district leaders voicing conflicting opinions.
While a sizable portion of the party supports the incumbent MP Raju Bista, B.P. Sharma, the party's Kurseong MLA, has made a name for himself as a "bhumiputra" (son of the soil).
If the party picks a "outsider," he has vowed to run as an Independent. Despite being a Gorkha, Bista is a Manipur native.
Harsh Vardhan Shringla, a former foreign secretary and native of the area, has been interacting with people in the plains and hills, which has added to the confusion.
"His advances are noteworthy. As he travels around the districts of Kalimpong and Darjeeling, he meets and helps people in various ways. Even though he hasn't provided any cues, his actions have sparked conjecture both within and outside the party, according to one observer.
"The central leadership will decide the candidate for the Darjeeling seat, which our party has won three times straight since 2009," a senior BJP official in Siliguri said.
But unlike other north Bengali areas, he said, "there is complete confusion here due to the actions of party leaders." Shringla's actions have also aroused intrigue since he often interacts with individuals in various forums.
The BJP's Darjeeling (hills) district committee president, Kalyan Dewan, has praised Bista's performance, demonstrating the district committee's support for him.
"The way things are progressing under our MP's direction is a sign of strong collaboration. If fielded, there's a good chance (that he will win), too," Dewan said.
Party MLAs from Siliguri and Matigara-Naxalbari, Shankar Ghosh and Anandamoy Barman, are also Bista sympathizers.
"The MP has really benefited the area. He has brought in central funding for the building of New Jalpaiguri station, the extension of Bagdogra airport, and the construction of four-lane roadways, according to Ghosh.
"Moreover, he made it easier for funding to be allocated for drinking water projects in the plains and the hills."
When asked about Shringla's recent travels to several locations in and around Siliguri, Ghosh responded sharply.
"I know nothing about his whereabouts. He drew reference to the promises Shringla had given to citizens, saying, "Nor is our party involved in the works he has taken up."
According to Sharma, the Kurseong MLA, Bista's performance as an MP has not met his expectations.
We now realize that we were just bringing a party cadre, not the Gorkha's son as we had previously believed. He said, "He is fighting for the party's interests rather than the community because he wants a party ticket.
"I am ready to contest against the candidate if the BJP comes with the same election promises, sends someone from Delhi, and does not field anybody from here (a local candidate) this time," Sharma said.
He also made fun of Shringla, although he didn't mention him. Sharma made reference to Shringla's posters when he added, "During Durga Puja, we found some posters written in Bengali in Siliguri and in Nepali in Darjeeling."
"It is insufficient to just own a property (in the hills). Govinda and Mithun Chakraborty both own estates in the hills. People who are devoted to our causes and who are from among us are what we need," he said.
Shringla's parents are from the hills, therefore he can trace his ancestry back to Darjeeling. Although he had ancestors who owned houses in Darjeeling, he has not lived in the hills since his school days.
The former diplomat, who founded the Darjeeling Welfare Society, declared his intention to serve the local people.
He discussed Siliguri's geostrategic significance in detail and made the case that Siliguri, Darjeeling, and Sikkim might emerge as the next tourist "golden trio" in a talk on Friday at North Bengal University.
He went to a private hospital on Saturday before making his way to Panighata, which is on the outskirts of Siliguri. He made friends with the locals and promised them support in order to revive the months-closed Panighata tea plantation.
