Ajay Edward on the polling ground, Darjeeling glimpses of fierce battle
Ajay Edward on the polling ground, Darjeeling glimpses of fierce battle
Ajay Edward's party from Darjeeling Hills came to the fore demanding the state of Gorkhaland around the upcoming elections of West Bengal Legislative Assembly of India. It has also been seen in the past that when the assembly elections come, various hill political parties raise the demand for Gorkhaland state and increase the heat in the political arena. This time was no exception. But this time the demand is raised strongly by Ajay Edward's Indian Gorkha Janashakti Front.
The leader of this front, Ajay Edward, earlier formed the Edward Hamro Party and won the Darjeeling municipal elections, but the party's councilors later joined Aneet Thapa's Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha. Aneet Thapa is known to be close to state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. After that, Ajay Edward's Hamro party broke up.
As the assembly elections approached, Ajay Edward formed an alliance of his supporters to form the Indian Gorkha Janashakti Front. He wanted to hold elections unitedly with this front, but no regional party in Darjeeling responded. So he alone took the field demanding Gorkhaland.
The candidate of the front has already been announced. Vandana Rai has been fielded in Karshiang constituency, Brito Lepcha in Kalimpong, Nimesh Sundas in Matigara-Naxalbari constituency and Krishnananda Singh in Siliguri. Ajay himself will contest from Darjeeling seat.
West Bengal Assembly seats are 294. Trinamool Congress declared 291 candidates but left out three seats. These seats are being released to Aneet Thapar's party. As a result, Aneet Thapa's Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), the BJP-Gorkha Janamukti Morcha alliance, Ajay Edward's Indian Gorkha Janashakti Front and the Congress are facing a fight in the assembly elections in Darjeeling, a hilly region of West Bengal.
In this equation, this time there is a glimpse of a crowded fight in the assembly seat of Darjeeling. But political analysts said, the main fight here will be mainly two-sided. Bimal Gurung's Gorkha Janmukti Morcha-BJP coalition candidates are likely to win. They won the last election too.
Even if Ajay Edward's party is unable to bring any regional party into the alliance, how far it can go with the claim of Gorkhaland state is now a matter for analysts to see.
Elections to the 294 seats of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly will be held in two phases on April 23 and 29.
