Ganesh Rai differs with Chamling’s reason for electoral defeat

GANGTOK,: SDF functionary Ganesh Kumar Rai has expressed his disagreement with the contention of party president and former Chief Minister Pawan Chamling that SDF lost the 2019 elections due to selfish and opportunistic party leaders. Such statement is a grave injustice to the party workers who worked hard for the SDF, he recorded.
“I totally differ with the statement of our party president that SDF lost the election due to selfish and opportunistic party leaders. SDF did not lose the election solely because of the party workers but because of a multitude of reasons,” posted Rai in his social media account on Monday.
Chamling had on Sunday admitted that the electoral defeat happened because the party failed to see “large number of hypocrites” within the party who were for personal gain only. People wanted to support the SDF but they had seen hypocrites in the party who were behaving like saints in front of us and bullying people when they were in the field, he had stated.
Differing on this, Rai pointed out that a major reason for the 2019 election defeat was fielding of wrong candidates by the SDF parliamentary committee.
“One prominent reason among them was the fielding of wrong candidates in some constituencies by the Parliamentary Committee of the party. The SDF party workers worked hard with utmost sincerity and also the party had many leaders with 100% winning prospects. However, these party leaders with a good winning prospect were all coldly ignored without so much as consultation,” posted Rai.
Rai also expressed his disappointment that after losing the election, not a single member of the Parliamentary Committee took the responsibility and interacted with party workers. It is an insult to all the party workers and party leaders to make them a scapegoat and blame for party's defeat on them, he added.
“I have a severe objection to such a statement and believe that it is a grave injustice to all the party workers who worked hard at the ground with no other objective but to ensure victory for the SDF party. SDF could remain in power for 25 long years because of the grassroots workers and leaders whose dedication and sincerity towards party have been unquestionable, and scapegoating them the defeat of SDF in the election is ridiculous.  I salute those committed party workers,” asserted Rai.
Rai is also the former panchayat president of Melli Dara Paiyong GPU, South Sikkim.