Darjeeling, 5 March: The Hills unit of Trinamul Congress today said it has no resentment
against party supremo Mamata Banerjee when she announced that
Bhaichung Bhutia, a non-local candidate, will contest the
Lok Sbha election for the Darjeeling
seat.
The TMC hill leaders had time and again said that the party's top leadership must choose a local candidate to contest the polls for the Darjeeling seat on a TMC ticket.
"We had requested didi to appoint a local candidate within the workforce, but we had also said that we would accept whatever the party finally decides on. We will now work as a team to ensure that our candidate wins," spokesperson of the Hill TMC unit, Binny Sharma, said.
Chief Minister Miss Banerjee today made public the names of 42 TMC candidates who would contest the polls. The list included the former Indian football captain, Baichung Bhutia's name for the Darjeeling seat.
The Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) has remained tight-lipped on the poll issue.
When asked about the new development, GJMM general secretary Roshan Giri today refused to comment on the matter.
Meanwhile, the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) chief, Bimal Gurung, has said that a slew of projects for the Hills, which have begun before the poll code of conduct for parties and governments comes in force, are expected to start
soon.
The GTA decided to take ahead the projects in a meeting it held at the Gorkha Rangmanch bhavan.
seat.
The TMC hill leaders had time and again said that the party's top leadership must choose a local candidate to contest the polls for the Darjeeling seat on a TMC ticket.
"We had requested didi to appoint a local candidate within the workforce, but we had also said that we would accept whatever the party finally decides on. We will now work as a team to ensure that our candidate wins," spokesperson of the Hill TMC unit, Binny Sharma, said.
Chief Minister Miss Banerjee today made public the names of 42 TMC candidates who would contest the polls. The list included the former Indian football captain, Baichung Bhutia's name for the Darjeeling seat.
The Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) has remained tight-lipped on the poll issue.
When asked about the new development, GJMM general secretary Roshan Giri today refused to comment on the matter.
Meanwhile, the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) chief, Bimal Gurung, has said that a slew of projects for the Hills, which have begun before the poll code of conduct for parties and governments comes in force, are expected to start
soon.
The GTA decided to take ahead the projects in a meeting it held at the Gorkha Rangmanch bhavan.
Bhutia will lose charm: CPRM
Kurseong, 5 March
Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM) today said former captain of the Indian Football team, Baichung Bhutia, is downgrading his reputation and his wonderful image, while also losing ardent fans and supporters, by joining politics.
Asked for comments on Trinamul congress picking Mr Bhutia as its candidate for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat, CPRM spokesperson Govind Chettri said they will never support TMC “even if it fields Atal Behari Vajpayee, Sonia Gandhi or Manmohan Singh as its candidate.”According to him, the CPRM will not support TMC as it is against creating a separate state of Gorkhaland. He added that Mr Bhutia is so far appreciated and loved by people of all sections in the country. “But after joining politics and joining hands with TMC, he is definitely defaming his own image, while he is sure to lose his fans and supporters,” Mr Chettri said. On the CPRM’s stand on the Lok Sabha elections, Mr Chettri said his party may take a final call on whether to field its own candidate or support others within 12 March. GJMM vice-president Pradeep Pradhan, meanwhile said Mr Bhutia is being made a scapegoat by TMC as he is an excellent footballer and a “great dancer.”
“He is, however, not a great orator,” he said. “If TMC really wanted to show respect to Mr Bhaichung Bhutia, it would have nominated him as their candidate for the Rajya Sabha instead of throwing him into politics,” Mr Pradhan said.
Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM) today said former captain of the Indian Football team, Baichung Bhutia, is downgrading his reputation and his wonderful image, while also losing ardent fans and supporters, by joining politics.
Asked for comments on Trinamul congress picking Mr Bhutia as its candidate for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat, CPRM spokesperson Govind Chettri said they will never support TMC “even if it fields Atal Behari Vajpayee, Sonia Gandhi or Manmohan Singh as its candidate.”According to him, the CPRM will not support TMC as it is against creating a separate state of Gorkhaland. He added that Mr Bhutia is so far appreciated and loved by people of all sections in the country. “But after joining politics and joining hands with TMC, he is definitely defaming his own image, while he is sure to lose his fans and supporters,” Mr Chettri said. On the CPRM’s stand on the Lok Sabha elections, Mr Chettri said his party may take a final call on whether to field its own candidate or support others within 12 March. GJMM vice-president Pradeep Pradhan, meanwhile said Mr Bhutia is being made a scapegoat by TMC as he is an excellent footballer and a “great dancer.”
“He is, however, not a great orator,” he said. “If TMC really wanted to show respect to Mr Bhaichung Bhutia, it would have nominated him as their candidate for the Rajya Sabha instead of throwing him into politics,” Mr Pradhan said.
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE