Siliguri, March 20 -- As the election season begins in the hills, politics in North Bengal is heating up with new candidates being introduced, some old leaders sidelined and tensions 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 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...