Bagdogra, 6 March: Trinamul Congress candidate for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency and former Indian footballer, Bhaichung Bhutia, today said he was confident about winning the elections. Mr Bhutia also said he wants to work for development of Darjeeling, while maintaining unity between the plains and the Hills.
Mr Bhutia arrived at the airport today, from where he headed for Darjeeling.
He made such statements on being asked if he hopes for a win, as the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) is unlikely to support him.
“Politics is a different ball game altogether,” he said.
“This is a different turf for me and I have to learn a lot. But I can promise that the way I played football, I will maintain complete honesty, dedication and transparency,” he added.
The former Indian football captain said he will seek support from all the political parties.
“If we manage to bag 40-50 MPs, we will be able to raise the issues in the Parliament more strongly. We will fight for development,” he said.
Mr Bhutia thanked the chief minister and party workers for handing down on him a ‘big responsibility.’
“I will try to fulfill the aspirations of the people here,” he said.
Meanwhile, the acting Darjeeling district secretary of CPI-M, Jibesh Sarkar, said he has doubts over Mr Bhutia’s efficiency as a political man.
“Mr Bhutia had been a magnificent footballer and like many, I also like him, but since he is a man of sports, I have doubts whether he has the potential to become a politician, whether he will be able to address the issues of the people. He had campaigned for us in the previous elections,” Mr Sarkar said.
Mr Bhutia arrived at the airport today, from where he headed for Darjeeling.
He made such statements on being asked if he hopes for a win, as the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) is unlikely to support him.
“Politics is a different ball game altogether,” he said.
“This is a different turf for me and I have to learn a lot. But I can promise that the way I played football, I will maintain complete honesty, dedication and transparency,” he added.
The former Indian football captain said he will seek support from all the political parties.
“If we manage to bag 40-50 MPs, we will be able to raise the issues in the Parliament more strongly. We will fight for development,” he said.
Mr Bhutia thanked the chief minister and party workers for handing down on him a ‘big responsibility.’
“I will try to fulfill the aspirations of the people here,” he said.
Meanwhile, the acting Darjeeling district secretary of CPI-M, Jibesh Sarkar, said he has doubts over Mr Bhutia’s efficiency as a political man.
“Mr Bhutia had been a magnificent footballer and like many, I also like him, but since he is a man of sports, I have doubts whether he has the potential to become a politician, whether he will be able to address the issues of the people. He had campaigned for us in the previous elections,” Mr Sarkar said.
Asok Bhattacharya calls Baichung an opportunist
Siliguri, 6 March
Former state urban development minister Asok Bhattacharya today portrayed Baichung Bhutia as an opportunist, following his decision to jump into politics with Trinamul Congress.
"I always pay him high regards as a brilliant footballer. But his decision to join politics and to contest the LS polls from Darjeeling as Trinamul Congress candidate is nothing but his desire to take more gifts and expand his business as an opportunist," Mr Bhattacharya said. "He took several advantages from the erstwhile state government, and after the change of guard, he started keeping in touch with the Trinamul leadership so that he can expand his business," he said over telephone from Hyderabad.
Sources said Mr Bhutia is trying to develop a plot of land in Siliguri, which he managed to get hold of during the Left regime.
Former state urban development minister Asok Bhattacharya today portrayed Baichung Bhutia as an opportunist, following his decision to jump into politics with Trinamul Congress.
"I always pay him high regards as a brilliant footballer. But his decision to join politics and to contest the LS polls from Darjeeling as Trinamul Congress candidate is nothing but his desire to take more gifts and expand his business as an opportunist," Mr Bhattacharya said. "He took several advantages from the erstwhile state government, and after the change of guard, he started keeping in touch with the Trinamul leadership so that he can expand his business," he said over telephone from Hyderabad.
Sources said Mr Bhutia is trying to develop a plot of land in Siliguri, which he managed to get hold of during the Left regime.
Baichung, the only popular TMC face in NB
Siliguri, 6 March
Barring aside the former Indian football team captain, Baichung Bhutia, Trinamul Congress lacks candidates who are overwhelmingly popular among the common masses in seven parliamentary seats in six districts of north Bengal.
Despite Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's political strategy to field popular candidates and secure the maximum number of Lok Sabha seats in the state this election, there seems to be no one, except Mr Bhutia, who can wrest a single seat with his/her personal charisma from the Congress and Left Front.
However, Mr Bhutia’s prospects in the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat are likely to hinge on the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha's support.
When the politically polarized people in Bengal were apparently in favour of Trinamul Congress only for chief minister Mamata Banerjee's charisma, observers here believe that the manner in which the TMC candidates have been selected may make room for Congress and Left Front to make gains in north Bengal again.
A section of Trinamul leaders here are virtually upset over the
decisions taken by the Trinamul chief Miss Banerjee, especially when the people usually do not want to accept what they call an ‘outsider.’
In Cooch Behar, not only the leaders, but also party supporters were shell shocked when the party named Renuka Sinha as its candidate there. The first reaction the leaders and supporters there gave to the pick was “Who’s she?”
Ignoring heavyweights, who are comparatively competent than Mrs Sinha when it comes to beating LF and Forward Bloc opponents, Miss Banerjee nominated the retired teacher in Cooch Behar, LS seat No-1, just because she wanted a woman candidate there.
In Alipurduar, parliamentary seat No 2, a large section of the people had believed that TMC would field former RSP MLA Dasrath Tirkey. But TMC leaders are not sure about his prospects there against Manohar Tirkey, who was elected as MP in 2009. This because, Adivasi people say they will not accept a 'betrayer'.
Similarly, TMC candidate Bijay Bhushan Barman, an academic, is competent enough to take on two other strong personalities like Mahendra Roy, the current MP in Jalpaiguri, and current MLA and former IAS officer Sukhbilash Barma, but party workers are not happy with the candidate who has no political background in this
region.
In Darjeeling, no one can ignore another academic Mahendra P Lama, who has been campaigning as an Independent candidate. GJMM is still undecided on whether it will support the Trinamul, as it is also eyeing a separate state of Gorkhaland, following the Telangana development. Without the GJMM's support, other parties like Congress and BJP are apparently in no position to win the Darjeeling LS seat.
Barring aside the former Indian football team captain, Baichung Bhutia, Trinamul Congress lacks candidates who are overwhelmingly popular among the common masses in seven parliamentary seats in six districts of north Bengal.
Despite Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's political strategy to field popular candidates and secure the maximum number of Lok Sabha seats in the state this election, there seems to be no one, except Mr Bhutia, who can wrest a single seat with his/her personal charisma from the Congress and Left Front.
However, Mr Bhutia’s prospects in the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat are likely to hinge on the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha's support.
When the politically polarized people in Bengal were apparently in favour of Trinamul Congress only for chief minister Mamata Banerjee's charisma, observers here believe that the manner in which the TMC candidates have been selected may make room for Congress and Left Front to make gains in north Bengal again.
A section of Trinamul leaders here are virtually upset over the
decisions taken by the Trinamul chief Miss Banerjee, especially when the people usually do not want to accept what they call an ‘outsider.’
In Cooch Behar, not only the leaders, but also party supporters were shell shocked when the party named Renuka Sinha as its candidate there. The first reaction the leaders and supporters there gave to the pick was “Who’s she?”
Ignoring heavyweights, who are comparatively competent than Mrs Sinha when it comes to beating LF and Forward Bloc opponents, Miss Banerjee nominated the retired teacher in Cooch Behar, LS seat No-1, just because she wanted a woman candidate there.
In Alipurduar, parliamentary seat No 2, a large section of the people had believed that TMC would field former RSP MLA Dasrath Tirkey. But TMC leaders are not sure about his prospects there against Manohar Tirkey, who was elected as MP in 2009. This because, Adivasi people say they will not accept a 'betrayer'.
Similarly, TMC candidate Bijay Bhushan Barman, an academic, is competent enough to take on two other strong personalities like Mahendra Roy, the current MP in Jalpaiguri, and current MLA and former IAS officer Sukhbilash Barma, but party workers are not happy with the candidate who has no political background in this
region.
In Darjeeling, no one can ignore another academic Mahendra P Lama, who has been campaigning as an Independent candidate. GJMM is still undecided on whether it will support the Trinamul, as it is also eyeing a separate state of Gorkhaland, following the Telangana development. Without the GJMM's support, other parties like Congress and BJP are apparently in no position to win the Darjeeling LS seat.
Source: SNS