States » EastPosted at: Oct 5 2026 10:13PM


BJP leader backs Article 371F, says Sikkim and Darjeeling have separate political futures

Siliguri, Oct 5 (UNI) Amid renewed attempts by a section of people in Darjeeling and Kalimpong to raise the demand for the merger of Sikkim with the Darjeeling hills, Darjeeling BJP MP and newly appointed party in-charge for Sikkim, Raju Bista, on Monday made it clear that the BJP would respect and uphold Article 371F of the Constitution and would not allow any infringement upon Sikkim’s political space.
Addressing his first organisational meeting with Sikkim State BJP workers at Singtam after taking charge, he said Article 371F is a permanent provision of the Constitution and that the BJP would always respect and uphold it “in letter and spirit”.
His remarks came against the backdrop of statements by Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, who had strongly opposed the campaign for the merger of Sikkim with Darjeeling and said that not an inch of Sikkim’s land would be given for such a merger. The Chief Minister had also ruled out any possibility of a merger between Sikkim and Darjeeling.
Former Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has also rejected the merger proposition, maintaining that there was no question of Sikkim merging with Darjeeling.
Bista, while referring to the relationship between the two regions, said that Sikkim and Darjeeling had a shared history but their present and future were different. “We will stand side by side and support each other, but we will not infringe upon each other’s political space,” he said.
He stressed that strengthening the BJP organisation in Sikkim was important for protecting the interests of the people of the state. The immediate organisational focus, he said, would be on strengthening the party from the booth level upwards and expanding public outreach through the Seva Setu Abhiyan.
Bista also assured party workers that he would travel across Sikkim to understand local issues and work closely with the State BJP leadership and the organisation. UNI MBN NST MCR
Tags: #BJP leader backs Article 371F# says Sikkim and Darjeeling have separate political futures
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