The Darjeeling BJP MLA danced and the Kurseong BJP MLA sulked, the contrast on the saffron canvas evident following the renomination of Darjeeling MP Raju Bista in the second list of Lok Sabha nominees released by the BJP on Sunday evening.

The moment the BJP announced Bista’s name, Neeraj Zimba, who won the Darjeeling Assembly seat on a BJP ticket, danced to a Nepali song. The BJP Kurseong MLA, B.P. Sharma (Bajgain), who does not regard Bista as a "son of the soil", decided to contest against Bista.

The 38-second video of Zimba’s dance was recorded and posted by the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) on the party’s media group on WhatsApp. Zimba is the GNLF secretary-general.

Zimba also posted his dance video on Facebook and wrote: “Dancing in joy as Raju Bista is re confirmed the BJP ticket for the prestigious Lok Sabha seat from Darjeeling.”

Throughout Sunday, the atmosphere was tense in the BJP camp as news filtered in that the party was weighing its options between Bista and former foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla.

Most Darjeeling BJP leaders and its allies like the GNLF backed Bista’s candidature. Zimba had even threatened to contest as an Independent if Bista was denied the party’s ticket.

However, Kurseong BJP MLA Bajgain said that as the BJP failed to nominate a “bhoomiputra”, he would have to contest now.

Bista hails from Manipur but his in-laws are from Darjeeling district.

“I have decided to contest now that the (BJP) name has been finalised. Three times in a row, outsiders have failed to address our issues,” said Bajgain, referring to Darjeeling BJP MPs from 2009 onwards, Jaswant Singh, S.S.Ahluwalia and Bista.

“Sadly, the BJP could not find one candidate from the 17 lakh residents of Darjeeling,” said Bajgain.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha election manifesto, the BJP promised a permanent political solution to the region and tribal status to 11 hill communities.

Five years on, these promises are still unmet.