TMC Challenges BJP's Dominance in West Bengal's Key Darjeeling Seat

The Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal is set to undergo voting in the second phase of the elections on April 26, 2024. The constituency, currently held by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is witnessing a fierce battle as the Trinamool Congress (TMC) challenges the BJP's dominance in the region.

The key candidates in the fray are BJP's Raju Bista, the incumbent MP, and Gopal Lama of the TMC. The demand for 'Gorkhaland' by the Gorkha community, who hold significant influence in the Darjeeling hills, remains a prominent issue in the constituency. Bimal Gurung, the former leader of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, is supporting the BJP, which could help consolidate votes in favor of Bista.

However, the political landscape in Darjeeling has seen some changes, with the emergence of new parties like the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) and Hamro Party. The BGPM has allied with the TMC, while Hamro Party has tied up with the Congress. This has led to a three-cornered contest in the constituency and a potential split in the Gorkha vote.

The BJP has dominated the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency since 2009, largely due to its promise of a separate Gorkhaland state for the Nepali-speaking Gorkha community. However, the party has not taken any concrete steps to fulfill this demand even after coming to power at the Centre in 2014. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has kept the Gorkhaland issue out of its manifesto, likely due to fears of losing votes in southern Bengal where the party is yet to make inroads.

The sitting BJP MP, Raju Bista, is seeking re-election, but the Gorkha community is reportedly 'tired and disappointed' with the BJP's lack of action on the Gorkhaland issue. The TMC has fielded Gopal Lama, a former bureaucrat, as its candidate, while the Congress-Hamro Party alliance has put forward Munish Tamang.

The election drama in Darjeeling heated up as Binay Tamang, a prominent figure in Darjeeling politics and the general secretary of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee, announced his support for the BJP candidate Raju Bista. Binay had joined the Congress in November 2023 but was unhappy with the party's decision to field Munish Tamang as the candidate. The Congress subsequently expelled Binay from the party for six years due to 'anti-party activities'.

Key Takeaways

• Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal to see BJP-TMC contest.
• Gorkhaland demand remains a key issue, with BJP's past promises unfulfilled.
• Emergence of new parties like BGPM and Hamro Party leads to three-way fight.
• Sitting BJP MP Raju Bista seeks re-election, faces challenge from TMC's Gopal Lama.
• Expulsion of Binay Tamang from Congress adds to the election drama in Darjeeling.