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.
This story is from the April 21, 2024 edition of The Sunday Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 21, 2024 edition of The Sunday Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
WHEN PHILANTHROPY AND SEVA COME NATURALLY
On a bitterly cold January evening a group of devotees of Saint Jalaram are serving hot nutritious food to the homeless and destitute in the Holborn area of London. University students too can be seen in the queues. Saint Jalaram was born in 1799 in Gujarat.
BMW Motorrad India to raise prices by up to 2.5%
BMW Motorrad India will increase prices by up to 2.5% across the model range. The new prices will be effective from 01 January 2025 onwards.
Volvo Group partners with Indian universities to shape future automotive talent
Volvo signs MoU with Amrita University and Thapar Institute to build a stronger industry-academia engagement and enhance the engineering industry readiness.
NO GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION TO DETERMINE PRICE OF VEHICLES TO BE SCRAPPED
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari said that there will be no government intervention for determining the fair price for a vehicle to be scrapped.
GADKARI VOWS TO MAKE AUTO INDUSTRY NO. 1
The Indian automobile industry ranks third globally, behind China and the United States, but the government aims to elevate it to the top position within the next five years, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari stated.
Maruti to ramp up exports by over two-fold to 8 lakh units by 2030-31
Maruti Suzuki India is aiming to export about 8 lakh vehicles annually by the fiscal year 2030-31, from its current exports of around 3 lakh units.
ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT SUMMONS POLICE COMMISSIONER ON CONTEMPT PETITION
The Allahabad High Court has recently summoned Prayagraj Police Commissioner Tarun Gauba and other officials to appear on December 10 regarding a contempt petition.
GULFISHA, KHALID SEEK BAIL ON GROUNDS OF PARITY
Several individuals accused in the larger conspiracy case related to the 2020 Delhi Riots, including Gulfisha Fatima, Abdul Khalid Saifi, and Shifa Ur Rehman, have approached the Delhi High Court on Tuesday seeking bail.
Delhi HC directs CBI to appoint senior officer for RAU Study Circle case
The Delhi High Court has recently directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to appoint a senior officer to regularly monitor the investigation into the RAU's IAS Study Circle case.
Delhi HC directs govt to submit report on AHF injection stocks
The Delhi High Court has recently instructed both the Centre and the Delhi government to submit reports on the current stock of Antihemophilic Factor injections, which are essential for treating haemophilia, a rare genetic disorder.
