Kolkata, May 16 (IANS): BJP national vice president Surinder
Singh Ahluwalia Friday won the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat in northern
West Bengal, humbling former Indian soccer captain Bhaichung Bhutia of
the Trinamool Congress by 196,795 votes.
The
Bharatiya Janata Party candidate, who had the backing of the dominant
party Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, secured 487,564 votes, while Bhaichung had
to be satisfied with 290,769.
Communist Party of India-Marxist aspirant Saman Pathak finished third, garnering 167,069 votes.
BJP retained the seat. In 2009, Jaswant Singh was elected from the constituency.