New Delhi: When in doubt, spring a fresh face. And
in BJP's case, a fresh face with a Sangh background. This rule has
helped BJP in the past, and it hopes, will do so this time as well. The
party has chosen an unconventional candidate, one who is not even a
full-time politician, for its Darjeeling seat. Raju Bista has all the
prerequisites and more for BJP to win a seat. The sitting MP for
Darjeeling S S Ahluwalia has created a sour atmosphere for himself and
was jokingly called ‘outsider MP’ by the locals.
Ahluwalia hardly visited his constituency in his 5-year tenure and
was also absent when the pro-Gorkhaland movement went downhill. Knowing
fully well that even the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) cannot afford to
support Ahluwalia again, Raju Bista is being fielded by the BJP. Both
the GJM and Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) have expressed
support for Bista. But who is this political newbie BJP is banking on
for Darjeeling?
Less a politician, more an entrepreneur
Raju Bista is not your traditional neta, not even a full-time
politician. He describes himself as a 'social worker'. He is an
entrepreneur and is the Managing director of a private company Surya
Roshni. This company has an annual turnover of Rs 5000 crore and makes
electric lights. The Delhi-based businessman has been conferred with the
'ET Most Promising Business leaders of Asia' award.
Talking about his success, Bista says, "I am always hungry for
success but not impatient. I have constantly evolved with time because
the world we work in and the working condition are changing at a
fast-paced rate. I take (the) calculative risk..." So has he taken a
risk by agreeing to be a full-time politician, that too from a
constituency where there's tangible discontent against the sitting MP
from the same party?
Based in Delhi, connected to Darjeeling
Much before he became a business tycoon, Bista claims, he was a
'social worker'. According to Bista, he joined an NGO back in the year
2000, around 12 years before he was elevated to the position of MD of
Surya Roshni. Probably that is why, apart from being the business leader
that he is, he still takes great pride in being Vice Chairman and
trustee of the Surya Foundation, that operates from Delhi.
He founded the 'Bharat Youth Club' with the pursuit to promote sports
among Darjeeling youths. Bista also claims to have organised
'personality building events' for the last ten years, in remote areas of
Darjeeling district for school kids, who otherwise had no access to
formal training. Bista is originally from Manipur and has also given
grants to the Sanskrit school there. His foundation also runs a 'Sainik
School' for kids of the village dwellers.
Old Sangh association
Bista joined RSS in 1996, and the Sangh ethos has primarily inspired
his interest in public policy. The Surya Foundation has given grants to
various 'Saraswati Vidya Mandirs', a school chain run by RSS affiliates.
He has been publicly spotted in a Saraswati Vidya Mandir event in
Ranchi, along with the chief minister and BJP leader Arjun Munda.
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| BJP Darjeeling Candidate Raju Bista joined RSS in 1996 |
A Kshatriya and a Nepali
His clean slate, a nationalist belief system, and pro-Sangh ethos
have all helped him get the ticket from Darjeeling. But what clinched
the deal was his Nepali origin. Darjeeling, in spite of being a part of
Bengal, has been Nepali dominated. Him being a Kshatriya has also helped
in clinching the deal. But what worked for him and even helped him gain
the support of GJM and GNLF was his stated position where he has
espoused for a separate Gorkhaland.
Bista may be new to Indian politics, but he is an old hand when it
comes to BJP's school of thought. No wonder then, the urban, suave
business tycoon with a Sangh background and a nationalist-leaning was
BJP's choice to replace SS Alhuwalia from Darjeeling.
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