Golay and I are going to fight side by side: Bhandari

MALBASEY, 30 Oct: “There are talks going on in various circles on independent candidates belonging to Bhandari’s side or Golay’s side, but today I want to inform you all that there is only one side and that is the side of the people, as we are going to fight side by side,” stated Nar Bahadur Bhandari, President, Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee [SPCC] while addressing a gathering at Malbasey, Soreong, in West Sikkim today.
Mr Bhandari was addressing a gathering of people during the panchayat campaign rally for Phurba Singh Tamang, an independent candidate who has filed his nomination papers for the upcoming Zilla Panchayat Elections from Malbasey, Soreong Ward in West Sikkim.
“The aim of Mr. PS Tamang [Golay] and the people who are in support of his ‘change’ which is rightly needed for Sikkim is one and I fully support him”, he added.
Urging the independent candidates to stay united and work for the people, he asked them not to sell out. “Don’t fight among each other as this is what the Sikkim Democratic Front party wants so that their candidates win easily”, he said and urged them to fight together as independent candidates and win the elections.
Contending that the future of Sikkim was ‘very dark as politics is being played on the basis of caste and religion’, the former CM said, “Let’s do politics, but let’s play fair and not with the intentions of taking revenge on one another”
He urged the youth not to get intimidated or involved in criminal activities as this could be used against them by others and asked them to stay united and fight for the change they want.
Speaking on the upcoming Panchayat elections, he informed the gathering that during his term as Chief Minister, he did neither encouraged nor allowed panchayat elections on party basis. This all started after the Chamling government came to power and now this has become so rampant that elections are not fought but candidates chosen by the party. He further stated that this has to be stopped and the independent candidates could bring in the change this time by fighting the elections and winning.
He also spoke on various other issues, alleging that the amount of corruption has gone up in the last 20 years and that land was being given openly to pharmaceutical companies, power projects and big corporate houses.