Contrasting Reactions as Darjeeling BJP MLA Dances and Kurseong MLA Sulks Over Renomination

Mixed Emotions in Saffron Camp Highlighted by Lok Sabha Nomination Announcement

Mar 26, 2024 - 10:12
Contrasting Reactions as Darjeeling BJP MLA Dances and Kurseong MLA Sulks Over Renomination
Neeraj Zimba (left) and BP Sharma

After Darjeeling MP Raju Bista was renominated in the second list of Lok Sabha nominees announced by the BJP on Sunday evening, the Kurseong BJP MLA pouted and the Darjeeling BJP MLA danced, creating a stark contrast on the saffron canvas.

Neeraj Zimba, who won the Darjeeling Assembly seat on a BJP ticket, danced to a Nepali song as soon as the BJP released Bista's name. B.P. Sharma (Bajgain), the BJP Kurseong MLA, chose to run against Bista because he does not consider Bista to be a "son of the soil".


The Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) captured and shared the 38-second footage of Zimba's dance on the party's WhatsApp media group. Zimba is the secretary-general of the GNLF.

"Dancing in joy as Raju Bista is re confirmed the BJP ticket for the prestigious Lok Sabha seat from Darjeeling," Zimba commented beside his dance video on Facebook.

The BJP camp remained tight all day on Sunday as rumors spread that the party was debating between Bista and former foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla.

The majority of Darjeeling BJP leaders and the GNLF, among others, supported Bista's candidacy. In the event that Bista was not given the party's ticket, Zimba had even promised to run as an Independent.

But Kurseong BJP MLA Bajgain declared that he would have to run now since the BJP had not yet nominated a "bhoomiputra."

Although his in-laws are from the Darjeeling district, Bista is a native of Manipur.

Now that the (BJP) name has been confirmed, I have made the decision to run for office. Outsiders have failed to handle our difficulties three times in a row, according to Bajgain, who was alluding to the Darjeeling BJP MPs, Jaswant Singh, S.S. Ahluwalia, and Bista, who were elected in 2009.

"Unfortunately, the BJP was unable to identify even one candidate among the 17 lakh Darjeeling residents," stated Bajgain.

The BJP pledged 11 hill communities tribal status and a long-term political solution to the area in its manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

After five years, these assurances remain unfulfilled.

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Punam Shaw I am a versatile full-stack developer skilled in both front-end and back-end technologies, creating comprehensive web applications and solutions. I have done B.com in Accountancy hons.