Gangtok: Former Indian soccer star Bhaichung Bhutia
has broken his silence on his resignation from Trinamul last month,
accusing a section of party leaders of treating him like an "outsider"
while signalling a political career in home state Sikkim.
"Since I was an outsider (in Bengal), I was opposed not just by the public but even by people in my own party," Bhaichung told The Telegraph on Wednesday, weeks after he had announced his resignation through a tweet.
Trinamul leaders declined comment but sources in the party
claimed Bhaichung was trying to cosy up to the BJP to start his innings
in Sikkim, where he is now on a Yuva Yatra (youth march) with some
friends "to understand the ground reality".
"All that we get to hear is not reflected on the ground. There
are good and bad things happening. We want to see the place, meet
people and know the reality," Bhaichung said. Bhaichung said he would
take a call on formally joining Sikkim politics before Assembly
elections that would coincide with Lok Sabha polls next year. But
options are limited for Bhaichung in his home state, where the ruling
Sikkim Democratic Front is a member of the North-East Democratic
Alliance, formed as a part of the BJP's "Congress-Mukt Northeast".
"People like Bhaichung, who make lateral entry into politics,
normally join the ruling party... It is sad that he is complaining about
Trinamul. The party gave him a lot of respect," said a Trinamul leader.
Trinamul nominated Bhaichung from the Darjeeling parliamentary
seat in 2014 but he lost to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha-backed BJP
candidate S.S. Ahluwalia. Mamata Banerjee fielded him against CPM
veteran Asok Bhattacharya in Siliguri in the 2016 Assembly polls, but he
lost. Later, In June 2016, Bhaichung was made chairman of the North
Bengal Board for Development of Sports.
"Bhaichung, was not very visible in Siliguri since the end of
2016. Finally, in February this year, he walked out of the party," said a
Trinamul source.
On Wednesday, Bhaichung said "the lessons he learnt in Bengal"
would hold him in good stead. Unlike in Bengal, where he was "thrown
down from the top", he said he would work his way up from the bottom in
his home state.
The Telegraph
Post a Comment
We love to hear from you! What's on your mind?