BJP aims to strengthen hold in Darjeeling, Balurghat as West Bengal readies for LS polls-phase 2

The voting for the first phase recently concluded in the Coochbehar, Alipurduar, and Jalpaiguri parliamentary constituencies. The BJP won in all these constituencies in the last election in 2019.

The BJP has fielded sitting MP Raju Bista from Darjeeling constituency. He will be contesting against Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate Gopal Lama.

Darjeeling has been a BJP bastion since 2009. The TMC has never won the constituency. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP's Bista won the constituency winning 59.2 per cent votes defeating TMC's Amar Singh Rai who won 26.6 per cent votes. In 2014, SS Ahluwalia won 42.8 per cent of votes while former footballer and TMC's star candidate Bhai Chung Bhutia won 25.5 per cent.

Bista claimed that the TMC has never posed a challenge to its electoral opponents in North Bengal since the state experienced widespread violence in 2017 when the movement for a separate Gorkhaland state broke out.

"TMC has never posed a challenge in North Bengal. Gopal Lama is a good person but he has chosen the wrong symbol. This is because Gorkhas cannot stand this symbol. 11 people lost their lives in 2017 owing to this symbol. Bloodstains are on this symbol even today and people can see it. Do you see any TMC flag in their campaign? He is doing politics hiding his party flag," the BJP MP said.

On a solution to the Gorkha problem in Darjeeling, the BJP candidate said, "In 2021, Bimal Gurung (founder of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha) sided with the TMC out of compulsion. However, deep down, he was with the BJP. A few days ago, PM Modi said in Siliguri that our government at the Centre has solved many complicated problems. We are also close to arriving at a solution to the Gorkha problem."

On the other hand, the BJP has fielded its state president and sitting MP Sukanta Majumdar from the Balurghat Lok Sabha constituency who will be fighting against TMC's Biplab Mitra.

Mitra who is the state Consumer Affairs Minister was elected from the Harirampur assembly constituency.

Majumdar defeated TMC's Arpita Ghosh in the 2019 elections with a margin of 33,293 votes. Ghosh won the constituency in 2014 unseating the Revolutionary Socialist Party which has traditionally held the seat from 1984.

After filing his nomination, Majumdar said that he will be contesting the polls on two main issues including urging the people to vote on the welfare schemes implemented by PM Modi and against corruption.

"I would like to thank PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah or showing faith in me by giving me the ticket for the second time. I am reaching out to people and they are supporting and blessing us. Our entire campaign in West Bengal is going two ways, first, the work of PM Modi and his guarantees. Free rations for 5 years, tap water for everyone, and 11.36 lakh houses have been built under the PM Awas Yojna that PM Modi will provide to the people. The second way is to raise the corruption and Sandeshkhali-like issues that the TMC has committed," he said.

In Raiganj which will also vote in the second phase, the BJP has fielded Kartick Paul against TMC's Krishna Kalyani. BJP's Debasree Chaudhuri defeated TMC's Kanaia Lal Agarwal from this seat in 2019.

Voting for the remaining constituencies of West Bengal will be held on April 26, May 4, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. The votes will be counted on June 4.

Though the TMC is part of the INDIA bloc, it does not have a seat-sharing arrangement with the other parties in the alliance, like Congress and the Left parties in the state.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the TMC emerged as the dominant force, securing 34 seats in the state. In contrast, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to win only 2 seats. The CPI (M) and the Congress won 2 and 4 seats, respectively.

However, the political landscape saw a significant shift in the 2019 polls. The BJP won 18 seats, a stark contrast to their previous tally. The TMC, although still in the lead, saw their seat count reduced to 22. The Congress's representation was reduced to just 2 seats, while the Left Front was unable to secure any seats.

The shift in power dynamics has created a highly competitive political environment. The BJP party, having won the 2019 elections, is now making a concentrated effort to unseat the TMC from its stronghold and become the dominant political force in West Bengal. The upcoming elections will be a pivotal moment for both parties as they seek to demonstrate their political strength and gain the upper hand. (ANI)