Darjeeling, July 10.TT: Five Trinamul Congress candidates in Darjeeling subdivision have moved to an undisclosed location in Siliguri as the party fears that the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha will intimidate them into withdrawing their nominations.
The Trinamul contestants have decided not to return to the hills before 3pm on Thursday, the deadline for candidates to withdraw their papers.
The elections to the GTA Sabha will be held on July 29 and the time for the withdrawal of the nominations begins tomorrow. There are 22 GTA constituencies in Darjeeling subdivision and Trinamul has fielded candidates in four of them. Two Independents backed by the party also submitted the nominations.
“Five of us came down to Siliguri after filing the nominations yesterday. There is a threat perception and we also felt that we would be forced to withdraw from the fray. We are not taking any chance,” one of the Trinamul candidates told The Telegraph over the phone from Siliguri.
He also said the Trinamul candidates would seek police protection during the campaigning. The six party candidates had been escorted by the police when they had gone to file the nominations here yesterday.
The candidature of one of the Trinamul-backed Independents, Indra Bahadur Biswakarma, who had filed his nominations from Bloomfield-Risheehat constituency, was rejected during the scrutiny today as his papers were incomplete.
The party has fielded 12 candidates in the Kurseong and Kalimpong subdivisions and they are staying at their native places.
“The candidates from Kalimpong had also come down to Siliguri after filing their nominations yesterday evening. But I have heard that they left for their respective constituencies this morning,” said the Trinamul candidate camping in Siliguri.
The CPM said all its 13 candidates were in the hills canvassing for votes. “I don’t have any information about any of our (12) candidates being threatened in the Darjeeling subdivision as of now. But I came to know that some of our candidates were requested to withdraw their nominations in lieu of contract works which could be offered once the GTA is formed,” said K.B. Watter, a senior CPM leader in Darjeeling
During the scrutiny today, the nomination of an Independent, Sharda Subba, in Sitong-Latpanchar was also rejected. The Morcha candidate in the constituency is general secretary Roshan Giri and he has won the seat uncontested with the rejection of the sole opponent’s nomination.
The Darjeeling district magistrate, Saumitra Mohan, who is also the election officer, said: “The candidate from Sitong-Latpanchar, Roshan Giri, remains uncontested as the other candidate’s nomination papers were cancelled by the returning officer during the scrutiny today.”
The Morcha had already won 12 constituencies unopposed.
Sources said the nominations of 18 Independents in Kurseong subdivision were also annulled today. Forty-three Independents had filed their nominations in Kurseong yesterday and many were allegedly sent by the Morcha in to order to crowd the returning officer’s chamber and prevent candidates of other parties from filing their papers.
A district official also said the Morcha candidate in Samsing-Kumai had challenged the papers of Trinamul nominee Urgen Sherpa. “The objection will come up for hearing tomorrow,” said the official.
If the candidature of Sherpa is cancelled, Samuel Gurung of the Morcha, too, will remain uncontested.
The Trinamul contestants have decided not to return to the hills before 3pm on Thursday, the deadline for candidates to withdraw their papers.
The elections to the GTA Sabha will be held on July 29 and the time for the withdrawal of the nominations begins tomorrow. There are 22 GTA constituencies in Darjeeling subdivision and Trinamul has fielded candidates in four of them. Two Independents backed by the party also submitted the nominations.
“Five of us came down to Siliguri after filing the nominations yesterday. There is a threat perception and we also felt that we would be forced to withdraw from the fray. We are not taking any chance,” one of the Trinamul candidates told The Telegraph over the phone from Siliguri.
He also said the Trinamul candidates would seek police protection during the campaigning. The six party candidates had been escorted by the police when they had gone to file the nominations here yesterday.
The candidature of one of the Trinamul-backed Independents, Indra Bahadur Biswakarma, who had filed his nominations from Bloomfield-Risheehat constituency, was rejected during the scrutiny today as his papers were incomplete.
The party has fielded 12 candidates in the Kurseong and Kalimpong subdivisions and they are staying at their native places.
“The candidates from Kalimpong had also come down to Siliguri after filing their nominations yesterday evening. But I have heard that they left for their respective constituencies this morning,” said the Trinamul candidate camping in Siliguri.
The CPM said all its 13 candidates were in the hills canvassing for votes. “I don’t have any information about any of our (12) candidates being threatened in the Darjeeling subdivision as of now. But I came to know that some of our candidates were requested to withdraw their nominations in lieu of contract works which could be offered once the GTA is formed,” said K.B. Watter, a senior CPM leader in Darjeeling
During the scrutiny today, the nomination of an Independent, Sharda Subba, in Sitong-Latpanchar was also rejected. The Morcha candidate in the constituency is general secretary Roshan Giri and he has won the seat uncontested with the rejection of the sole opponent’s nomination.
The Darjeeling district magistrate, Saumitra Mohan, who is also the election officer, said: “The candidate from Sitong-Latpanchar, Roshan Giri, remains uncontested as the other candidate’s nomination papers were cancelled by the returning officer during the scrutiny today.”
The Morcha had already won 12 constituencies unopposed.
Sources said the nominations of 18 Independents in Kurseong subdivision were also annulled today. Forty-three Independents had filed their nominations in Kurseong yesterday and many were allegedly sent by the Morcha in to order to crowd the returning officer’s chamber and prevent candidates of other parties from filing their papers.
A district official also said the Morcha candidate in Samsing-Kumai had challenged the papers of Trinamul nominee Urgen Sherpa. “The objection will come up for hearing tomorrow,” said the official.
If the candidature of Sherpa is cancelled, Samuel Gurung of the Morcha, too, will remain uncontested.
Post a Comment
We love to hear from you! What's on your mind?