As Bengal gears up for the second phase of elections on 26 April, the three constituencies going to the polls, Darjeeling, Raiganj, Balurghat, present contrasting pictures, even as the BJP, which won all three seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, hopes to do an encore.
DARJEELING
Darjeeling, known as the Queen of the Hills, has long supported the Bharatiya Janata Party. In 2009, it elected the former Central Minister Jaswant Singh. In 2014, it put its faith on S.S. Ahluwalia. And in 2019, BJP’s Raju Bista was elected with a massive 60% of the votes polled and a margin of four lakh. However, after toying with the idea of nominating former Foreign Secretary, Harsha Vardhan Shringla, the BJP decided to renominate Bista for the second consecutive term. The constituency comprises parts of Uttar Dinajpur, Kalimpong and Darjeeling districts.
“Darjeeling is a unique constituency with a lot of strategic importance. It has three international borders. Within this constituency, you have the India-Nepal border, the India-Bhutan border and the India-Bangladesh border. If you go further north in Sikkim then you have a border with Tibet and China,” says Shringla, whose family hails from Darjeeling. “This is a very strategic part of the country and very vulnerable both from outside and within,” he adds.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 21, 2024-Ausgabe von The Sunday Guardian.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 21, 2024-Ausgabe von The Sunday Guardian.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
RAIL PSUs UNDER SCRUTINY FOR GIVING UNAUTHORIZED FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
Railtel sources said that despite the body having its own cadre that is enough to handle the operations, successive CMDs are bringing officials close to them on deputation to the PSU.
Is China swindling Nepal over repayment of Pokhara airport loan?
It has been claimed that China's loan to Nepal is being serviced at 5% and not 2%, as publicly claimed by China.
Has American democracy become a farce?
The numerous think-tanks that routinely place India at near bottom in democracy and media freedom rankings haven’t uttered a word about how this trial of Donald Trump is a direct and frontal assault on democracy.
CAN INDIA FOSTER PEACE BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE?
Will India join the upcoming Switzerland peace summit aimed at ending the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis and bringing peace in the region? Switzerland is all set to host the summit on 15-16 June.
Will political parties agree on one nation, one election?
Will political parties that are continuously complaining about the system during the elections, be ready to pass a unanimous proposal in Parliament for election reforms?
FIVE REGIONAL PARTIES STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL
The leaders of these parties do not have clarity about their political future and therefore are jumping over to other parties.
Did playing the caste card help the Opposition?
Rahul forgot that Indira and Rajiv Gandhialways maintained a distance from caste politics. He got it into his head that caste was the way forward.
EXIT POLLS SUGGEST A TIGHT RACE IN MAHARASHTRA
There could be a tight race in Maharashtra with NDA and I.N.D.I.A bloc running neck and neck.
HOW EXIT POLLS FARED IN 2014 AND 2019
Exit polls predicted the NDA forming government easily. Yet no exit poll could predict the rout of UPA in both the Lok Sabha elections.
HIMACHAL PRADESH WITNESSES HIGH VOTER TURNOUT IN FINAL PHASE OF ELECTION
High voter turnout marks the final phase of Himachal Pradesh's Lok Sabha and Assembly bypolls: prominent leaders cast ballots early