Ravangla (south Sikkim), April
7: The sleepy sub-divisional town in south Sikkim, famed for its picturesque
locales, today woke up to give a rousing welcome to C.B. Karki who
is the new Sikkim Democratic Front candidate for Wok constituency.
The town is also home to the largest
number of supporters of the ruling party. The welcome rally organised by the SDF supporters from Wok soon
turned into a show of strength with party supporters from neighbouring
Ralang constituency also pouring in to show their solidarity with
Karki.
A close friend of chief minister Pawan Chamling and also the SDF
treasurer, Karki was introduced to the people of the constituency
by party vice-president K.N. Rai. Two-time sitting legislator from Wok, Rai had been shifted to Jorethang
constituency also in south Sikkim.
Karki whose name had figured prominently in the list of probable
candidates for the lone Lok Sabha seat was fielded for Wok constituency
on March 22.
Thousands of supporters, who had gathered at Ravangla bazar early
in the morning holding out traditional scarves and placards, cheered
and shouted slogans denouncing the Congress when Karki arrived at
the scene.
The supporters also staged a procession in the bazaar that culminated
at the party office in Namchi road where a public meeting was organised
to let the people know their new candidate.
D.D. Bhutia, the party vice-president and health minister who is
contesting the third term from neighbouring Ralang constituency,
was also present at the rally today.
Bhutia, considered to be Chamling's deputy in the cabinet, is the
senior-most leader of the Bhutia Lepcha community that has 12 seats
reserved in the Assembly. Speaking at the meet, Karki thanked Chamling for nominating him
from the Wok seat and promised to do his best for the people of
the constituency.
`I will also try my best to carry forward the development
work started by Rai in this constituency,` said the man who
grew with Chamling in the south Sikkim village of Yangang and also
cut his teeth into politics at the same time as the latter.
Wok, Ralang and Damthang constituencies in south Sikkim form the
core of the SDF's support base since it is from these seats that
the party kicked-off its fight for power in the early nineties.
The South district comprises seven Assembly seats and in the last
two terms the ruling party had won by record margins.
Courtesy
The Telegraph |
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