Bhandari confident that Govt will change in 2014

GANGTOK, 27 Oct: Sikkim Sangram Parishad president, Nar Bahadur Bhandari, today shared details on some issues that the party will focus on in the run-up to the general elections next year and also stated that an alliance to form the next government was positively on the cards. He was addressing a press conference here at Primula Cottage, Church Road this morning.
“Sikkim will definitely have a new government after the 2014 general elections and we are keeping all options open to make this happen. With hardly a year left for the elections, we are positive that a new government will come into power as the SDF party was falling out from the trust and faith of the people,” Mr. Bhandari said.
He stressed that the new government will have an enormous task at hand since it would be taking over from a government, which Mr. Bhandari alleged, has imposed a huge debt burden and has “crippled the state by repealing different Acts and old laws” and was in the process transforming Sikkim’s special provisions into a “Tiger without Teeth”.
The SSP president was accompanied by working president Rajendra Bhandari, general secretary KT Bhutia and vice presidents Kamal Rai and Rinzing Bhutia.
While contending that the SDF government had sidelined demands raised with the Centre by hi SSP government in the past, he said that it was the inability of the SDF to maintain pressure on the demands and its “compromise” that had resulted in the present situation. He also said here that the SDF instead of fighting for the protection of the old laws had worked out means of compromising these special provisions.
“Development is something that we should enjoy but now the present situation is that when you see development, it is development that has come at the cost of the people being put under this enormous financial burden, this demerit of the SDF cannot be ignored,” he stated.
The SSP press conference also condemned what it sees as the double standards of the ruling party in how it has targeted women leaders of the opposition with tasteless and offensive allegations on social media.

Bhandari to lead Sikkim Sangram Parishad again

GANGTOK, 19 May: Removed from the post of Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee president rather unceremoniously recently, former Chief Minister Nar Bahadur Bhandari, today confirmed his return to the party he had led at one time and claimed to have ‘merged’ into the Congress - the Sikkim Sangram Parishad. Addressing a joint press conference with the SSP president, Rajendra Upreti, Mr. Bhandari today confirmed that he will be taking charge as the SSP president on 24 May with Mr. Upreti standing in as working president.
Mr. Bhandari, it may be recalled, had given the Congress high-command time till 24 May to a set of conditions he had imposed on them. The SSP plans should have been obvious in the date itself since 24 May is SSP’s foundation day. Mr. Bhandari informed a press conference today that he will be formally taking charge of the party on 24 May, Thursday.
This will be the second time that Mr. Bhandari turns to SSP after being abandoned by the Congress. He had formed the SSP in 1984 after he was removed from the CM’s post by the Congress high command. Mr. Bhandari was a Congress CM at the time. He had then announced the merger of SSP with the Congress in end-July 2003. This was challenged by former Sangramis led by Mr. Upreti who have kept the party alive since then. And now Mr. Bhandari returns, after having been toppled by the Congress high command again.
“Sikkim Sangram Parishad held an executive meeting after the Mr. Bhandari was removed from the SPCC president’s post and decided to offer him the SSP leadership,” Mr. Upreti informed today.
After several rounds of meetings, Mr. Bhandari was offered the post of SSP president, while the sitting president Mr. Upreti agreed to stay on as working president and Kamal Rai, another Sangrami who had kept the party alive, is to continue as general secretary.
Mr. Bhandari announced today that with the re-launch of SSP, positive politics will return to Sikkim.

SPCC hopeful that Bhandari will stay on in Congress

GANGTOK, 10 May: Kunga Nima Lepcha, recently appointed the Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee president by the party high command replacing former CM Nar Bahadur Bhandari, is hopeful that Mr. Bhandari will remain in the Congress.
Mr. Lepcha addressed first press conference since his elevation to the post of SPCC president here at Press Club of Sikkim today. He stated that the SPCC wants Mr. Bhandari to adequately honoured for his service to Sikkim, its people and the Congress party and supported Mr. Bhandari’s stand that there can be no dilution or compromise of Sikkim’s distinct identity.
Mr. Bhandari, it may be recalled, was removed from the post of SPCC president recently, learning of his removal from a press release issued from Delhi. He is commented that his removal was prompted by his pro-Sikkim stand with the party high-command and the UPA Government and had listed several conditions on the Congress command before taking a final call on his future political affiliation. He has since evicted the Congress from his building at Development Area, which, until he was Congress president in Sikkim, was known as Congress Bhawan. The Congress flags don’t fly anymore on the building.
Meanwhile, Mr. Lepcha today contended that the dilutions of special privileges enjoyed by Sikkim have been diluted by the SDF government.
He also dismissed rumors of Mr. Bhandari having been evicted from his post by some conspiracy within the SPCC and insisted that there was no foul. He reiterated that he was trying hard to keep Mr. Bhandari in the Congress.
“We want Mr. Bhandari to continue in the SPCC and have conveyed this to the party high command as well,” Mr. Lepcha said.
About his meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Mr. Lepcha who recently returned from New Delhi, said that he discussed all important issues with the party high command and also strategies to prepare for the 2013 general elections.
He also appealed all Congress workers in Sikkim to unite and revive the party in the interest of Sikkim and keep the SDF from returning to power. As for the 24 May deadline issued by Mr. Bhandari to the party high command to respond to his demands/ conditions, Mr. Lepcha hinted that the high command will have an answer for Mr. Bhandari by then, hinting that the former CM will be accommodated in the party on a post befitting his stature.

Pro-Sikkim stand led to ouster, Bhandari believes

BHANDARI TO WAIT FOR CONG HIGH-COMMAND RESPONSE TILL 24 MAY BEFORE DECIDING FUTURE COURSE OF ACTIONGANGTOK, 05 May: Former Chief Minister Nar Bahadur Bhandari, removed his post as the Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee president recently, has challenged the move as ‘unconstitutional’, contending that the oldest political party of India has violated its own constitution by evicting an elected State Chief without specifying any reasons or seeking an explanations. He also informed today that he has not been officially intimated of his removal from the post, stating that it was only through a press release issued by Janardan Dwivedi, general secretary of All India Congress Committee on 20 April, that he learned of the development.
As for the reason why he was removed from the post, Mr. Bhandari believes that it was his pro-Sikkim stand, reflected in the memorandum he submitted as the SPCC president to the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, during his recent visit to Sikkim, which led to his ouster from the post.
Addressing a press conference today, Mr. Bhandari revealed that his memorandum to the President clearly stated that the Congress-led UPA Government has violated principles of the 08 May 1973 Tripartite Agreement to protect Sikkim’s distinct identity and the spirit of Article 371 F of the Constitution of India.
When asked on his present status in the Congress, Mr. Bhandari said that he has given the party time till 24 May to “assure him and Sikkimese people in writing that the spirit of the Merger and conditions of Article 371F of the Constitution will be maintained, enforced and reverted to as it was status”. If the party’s response was not acceptable to him, he would consider himself free to take a decision on the future course of action, he said.
He said that if the Congress and the Government of India fail to honour commitments made to Sikkim and the Sikkimese people during the merger, he was ready to quit to party.
He however added, “I am ready to serve on any post and be part of the Congress if the party restores everything that has been lost since Sikkim became part of Indian Union in 1975.”