Bhandari: Preparing for polls

Gangtok, Dec.15: Nar Bahadur Bhandari, Sonia Gandhi’s handpicked candidate chosen to lead the Congress to victory in Sikkim, kicked off the party’s campaign for the 2004 Assembly elections from Pakyong yesterday.

The state Congress president, who left for Calcutta today to attend an official meeting of the party, termed the Pakyong meet “excellent and highly successful”.

“We managed to display communal harmony and unity of purpose. We are grateful to Sikkim police for cooperating with us in handling traffic and law and order. The first public meeting of the Congress was peaceful and successful,” Bhandari told The Telegraph over phone.

More than 500 vehicles carrying party supporters arrived at Pakyong for the party’s first meet. Reports suggested the party was able to garner a positive response, leaving supporters and leaders in an upbeat mood.

Bhandari hit out at the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front government, projecting the twin issues of seat reservation and corruption as the main planks of the Congress election campaign.

Harping on the controversial issue of seat reservation, Bhandari said only the Congress could safeguard the constitutional rights of all communities in the state. He said the sanctity of the tripartite agreement between the people of Sikkim, the government of India and the Chogyal, had to be restored. According to him, there was a need to ensure that Limbus and Tamangs were also provided seat reservations on the basis of their inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes list while retaining the seats reserved for Bhutias and Lepchas.

Bhandari lashed out at the ruling party’s track record on governance and claimed it was involved in rampant corruption which needed to be stopped at all costs.

The Congress chief left for Calcutta to attend an official meeting but said he would be back soon to organise similar meetings in other parts of the state.

Last week, Bhandari appointed members of the central executive body, district committees and frontal organisations of the Congress to strengthen the party and prepare for the coming poll.

Former party president Namkha Gyaltshen was retained as the working president of the party. Bhandari also appointed 11 vice-presidents and 16 general secretaries. They would look after various organisations and cells within the party.

The new executive body includes both former leaders of the Sikkim Sangram Parishad and old Congressmen. The right balance between youth and experience and representation of districts and communities formed the priority areas for the party.