Cong expels Gorkha leader Binoy Tamang for 6 years for supporting BJP's Darjeeling candidate

    Kolkata, Apr 23 (PTI) The West Bengal unit of the Congress on Tuesday expelled the party's state general secretary Binoy Tamang for six years for "anti-party activities", hours after the Gorkha leader extended support to the BJP's Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat candidate Raju Bista.
    Tamang was unhappy after the Congress, which he joined in November last year, nominated Munish Tamang as its candidate for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency. He had expressed displeasure and claimed that neither he nor the local party leaders were consulted before nominating Munish Tamang for the seat.
    "Binoy Tamang has been expelled from the party for six years for anti-party activities. His expulsion will be effective immediately," Congress leader and former MLA Manoj Chakraborty said.
    Tamang said his expulsion from the Congress was a "victory for the Gorkhas", and he was not bothered about the action taken against him.
    "It would have been a matter of concern for me had I been ousted by the people of Darjeeling hills, Siliguri Terai and Dooars. But this (expulsion) does not really matter. My expulsion from the Congress is a victory for the Gorkhas and a defeat for the grand old party," Tamang told PTI.
    Earlier in the day, Tamang said he would support BJP's Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat candidate Raju Bista in the elections and urged people of the hills to vote for the leader of the saffron party.
    Tamang, who was the general secretary of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC), said he took this decision "independently after deep thought and realisation on all issues".
    "I extend my sincere support to BJP’s Darjeeling constituency candidate Raju Bista for constitutional security and justice for the people of Darjeeling Hills, Siliguri Terai and Dooars," Tamang said.
    "I humbly request all my respected fellow residents of Darjeeling Hills, Siliguri Terai and Dooars, my associates, supporters, well-wishers, friends, relatives, and families to cast their precious votes for BJP candidate Raju Bista on the Lotus symbol," he said.
    Tamang had earlier expressed displeasure over the Congress nominating Munish Tamang, former national president of Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BGP), for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat, less than a week after the latter joined the grand old party.
    Binoy Tamang, a former chairperson of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), claimed that the Congress leadership did not consult him nor any of the party leaders in the hills before deciding to nominate Munish Tamang as the party's candidate for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat.
    "BJP will win here. We can sense it. We do not support Munish Tamang as none of the Congress leaders here were consulted," Tamang said.
    He urged people to vote for Bista to "eliminate corruption and nepotism and lead the path for constitutional justice” for Darjeeling hills, Siliguri Terai and Dooars.
    Tamang asserted that there is a strong possibility of the BJP forming the next government in West Bengal after the 2026 assembly elections.
    "In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP government is sure to retain power at the Centre, and there is a strong possibility that the party will come to power in West Bengal in 2026 as well. It is not appropriate and wise to go against the party that comes in power at the Centre and the state," he said.
    Tamang claimed that since he has dedicated his life to the people of the hills and the Gorkha community, he would not be able to lead them to a "wrong path" but would protect them.
    "I have taken this decision independently after deep thought and realisation on all the issues, considering the policy in principle as paramount. No one has interfered with me to take this decision, nor am I in contact with anyone," Tamanag said.
    The BJP has nominated sitting MP Raju Bista while the Trinamool Congress has fielded Gopal Lama.
    BJP's Kurseong MLA Bishnu Prasad Sharma has announced that he would contest as an Independent against the party's official nominee from the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat.
    Darjeeling is scheduled to go for the polls on April 26.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)