As the election season begins in the hills, politics in North Bengal is heating up. New candidates are being introduced, some senior leaders have been sidelined, and tensions are rising across the Darjeeling hills and nearby plains. The announcement of fresh faces has created both excitement and resentment among party workers and supporters.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Bharat Chetri, former Indian hockey captain, Olympian, and Dhyan Chand Award recipient, from the Kalimpong Assembly constituency. He will take on the sitting MLA Ruden Sada Lepcha, who is contesting on a Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) ticket. The BJP is aiming to capture Kalimpong while retaining Darjeeling and Kurseong.
In a significant move, the party has dropped the sitting MLA Neeraj Zimba, a two-time winner from Darjeeling who had originally been elected on a BJP ticket belonging to the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF). The BJP has instead nominated Noman Rai, considered close to Bimal Gurung of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJMM). From Kurseong, the party has fielded social activist and BJP leader Sonam Lama.
Zimba aimed to contest for a third consecutive term to complete a record hat-trick, party sources said.
The announcement of new faces has triggered strong reactions within the party’s hill unit. Several senior leaders expressed shock, with former district president Manoj Dewan issuing a 48-hour ultimatum demanding reconsideration and threatening mass resignation. However, a Kalimpong-based political observer, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the backlash as a “temporary emotional outburst,” predicting that most workers would eventually rally behind the candidates. “The people of Kalimpong remain neutral for now and will deliver their verdict on polling day,” the observer said.
Political analysts believe Darjeeling MP Raju Bista will play a crucial role in reconciling dissent and consolidating support for the party in the hills.
Meanwhile, BGPM chief Anit Thapa, who is also the Chief Executive of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, has launched an aggressive campaign centred on regional identity, accusing the BJP of failing to address the core issues of the hills. He announced that BGPM candidates Lepcha (Kalimpong) and Amar Lama (Kurseong) will file nominations on 31 March, while Bijay Kumar Rai (Darjeeling) will do so on 1 April.
Signs of internal unrest are not confined to the hills. In Malbazar of Jalpaiguri district, BJP workers vandalised their party office to protest the nomination of Sukra Munda, who had begun his political career as an MLA on an All India Trinamool Congress ticket.
In Malda’s Baishnabnagar constituency, another group of workers protested against the selection of Raju Karmakar, branding him an outsider. The constituency had slipped from the BJP’s grasp in 2021 amid internal discord, though the party won four of the district’s 12 seats that year.
Amid the heated political climate, voters in Siliguri and Jalpaiguri witnessed an unusual moment of civility on Thursday. Ranjan Seal Sharma, the Trinamool Congress candidate for Dabgram-Fulbari, visited the residence of the sitting BJP MLA Shikha Chatterjee, his rival in the constituency, and sought her blessings, addressing her as “Maa.” Chatterjee responded warmly, wishing him well as her “son.” The two had earlier shared cordial ties when both were in the Trinamool Congress.
Sources said Sharma had allegedly supported Chatterjee indirectly when she contested against heavyweight TMC leader and then tourism minister Goutam Deb. This time, Deb himself is contesting from the Siliguri Assembly constituency, while the party has strategically fielded Sharma against Chatterjee.
Sharma’s campaign, however, has faced awkward moments, including pointed questions over alleged links to land scams and criminals. In one incident, he was even chased by a stray cow while canvassing in a marketplace, an episode that quickly became a talking point locally.
In Siliguri, campaigning by major contenders has gathered momentum. BJP MLA Sankar Ghosh, joined morning walkers at dawn and played badminton with children, while Mayor Deb visited a gym, interacting with youth during his workout routine.
With emotions running high, alliances shifting, and campaigns blending drama with symbolism, North Bengal’s electoral theatre has clearly entered an intense opening act—one that promises many more twists before the final verdict.